Sokoto Launches Polio Vaccination for 1.2 Million Kids

Sokoto State has initiated a four-day polio vaccination campaign from March 7 to March 10, aiming to vaccinate 1.2 million children against the circulating variant of poliovirus type 2. The campaign was flagged off by Governor Ahmadu Aliyu at the Kware district head palace, with the goal of stopping the transmission of the virus and preventing paralysis in children.

Governor Aliyu emphasized an aggressive strategy involving the co-administration of novel oral polio vaccine type 2 and traditional oral polio vaccine. Thousands of health workers have been mobilized across the state to ensure full coverage, with 2,830 house-to-house teams deployed to visit households, alongside 321 fixed post teams stationed at hospitals.

The campaign is supported by organizations such as the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, UNICEF, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Local leaders have been urged to ensure compliance, and parents are encouraged to present their children for vaccination.