Bulawayo to take part in Oral Polio Vaccine campaign

Vusumuzi Dube, Online News Editor

THE Bulawayo City Health Department in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and Child Care as well as the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education will this month embark on the first round of the national Oral Polio Vaccine campaign.

Zimbabwe has been polio-free since 1989, but the country is at high risk of infection from the Polio virus, after cases were recorded in neighbouring high-risk countries such as Malawi and Mozambique.

Malawi has to date recorded one case, and Mozambique four cases.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has negatively affected all routine immunisation service deliveries in Zimbabwe and this has resulted in low population immunity and surveillance gaps which have resulted in a greater risk for the Polio virus to spread.

“This necessitates a nationwide comprehensive response to mitigate the increased risk of Polio importation into Zimbabwe. The City of Bulawayo will be participating in the national Oral Polio Vaccine campaign in conjunction with Ministry of Health and Child Care, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and partners. The campaign will be conducted in two rounds,” reads a notice from the Bulawayo City Council Acting Town Clerk, Mrs Sikhangele Zhou.

Mrs Zhou said the first round of the vaccine will be given from 27 to 30 October while the second would be from 1 to 4 December.

“All the children aged 0-59 months will be eligible for the vaccines. The vaccines will be given at all municipal clinics, central hospitals, Mater Dei Hospital, private surgeries offering vaccination, crèches, primary schools, market places, churches, bus termini, and outreach points including house to house,” she said.