Kano State government has urged caregivers in the state to present their wards for polio vaccination, saying, the vaccine doesn’t have any health or religious implications.
The deputy governor, Comrade Abdulsalam Aminu, stated this yesterday during the flag off of the second round of polio vaccination at the district’s head palace in Bankure local government area of the state.
He said polio vaccination had been on for over 25 years and had proven to be effective and reliable in reducing preventable diseases among children. He said just like headache or ulcer, polio affects individuals irrespective of religion, colour or ethnic group and was being treated with the same medication for health.
“The Panadol and other drugs you take when you are ill, who produces it and what does headache or ulcer have to do with religion? Or do you produce it in your houses? Now is it the vaccine you want to reject?” he questioned.
He, therefore, urged them to take necessary steps to ensure they take their children for immunisation and present them for the second round of the polio exercise which commences today to June 17, 2025.
Comrade Aminu who is also the co-chairman of the state task force committee on polio, urged all stakeholders including local government chairmen, community and religious leaders to ensure that the vaccines are administered in all areas of challenge.
While thanking development partners and donor agencies for their support, he tasked local government chairmen to sanction anyone found wanting in the course of achieving their target of elimination of the virus.
Earlier in his goodwill message, the chief of UNICEF field office, Rahama Farah, stressed the importance of eradicating the disease before December.
In his remarks, the representative of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency(NPHCDA), Kabiru Yakassai, commended the state for its commitment to health, especially on routine immunisation.
He said the state had not recorded any new case of the virus in the last 14 weeks like what it recorded from the beginning of the year.
