Musa Danladi, the council's Immunization Officer, has said Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State is targeting 127,550 children aged between zero and 59 months in the ongoing December polio vaccination campaign.
Danladi spoke during the flag-off of the campaign at the Tilden Fulani Primary Health Care Center in Tororo LGA on Tuesday.
He said the local government has consistently recorded about 99 per cent compliance in the routine vaccination exercise, noting that resistance to vaccination in the area is minimal.
“Toro LGA is one of the areas where we do not experience serious non-adherence. Parents are largely cooperative and bring their children for vaccination,” he said.
Also read: Africa risks losing polio-free gains without final push, UNICEF warns
However, Danladi said challenges sometimes stem from misinformation and misconceptions, with some residents expressing fears that the free vaccines could harm their children.
“Some families still refuse the vaccine due to ignorance, but the number is very less,” he said.
He commended the Chairman of Tororo Local Government for providing assistance in ensuring the smooth conduct of the exercise, describing the campaign as vital to the health and development of children in the area, Bauchi State and Nigeria as a whole.
Danladi also praised the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Bauchi Field Office for training community volunteers who are mobilizing residents and raising awareness on the importance of polio vaccination in villages.
According to him, UNICEF is supplying all the vaccines used in the campaign to ensure that every child remains healthy and protected from communicable diseases.
He urged parents and caregivers in Tororo LGA to make their children available for vaccination, stressing that vaccination is important to prevent polio and other preventable diseases.
One of the parents, Ibrahim Haruna, who has 10 children, said he had initially stopped his children from receiving the polio vaccine because of ignorance.
Haruna said, “I didn't stop them intentionally; it was due to lack of awareness.”
He said that after the health challenges and increased sensitivity experienced by his children, he now ensures that they participate in every vaccination exercise.
“My six children are now healthier and stronger than ever,” he said, urging other parents to accept the vaccine, noting that it reduces medical expenses and helps children grow up strong and healthy.
Speaking at the event, Nujahat Rafiq of UNICEF Bauchi Field Office said the organization has played a vital role in polio eradication efforts in the five northern states, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba and Plateau.
He described UNICEF as a key partner in vaccination programs aimed at saving children's lives and safeguarding their long-term health.
Rafiq praised the governments of the five states for their continued support, saying it has been instrumental in furthering the organization's mission to protect children.
