Four-day polio vaccination campaign starts in Bulawayo

All children aged zero to five years will receive their oral polio vaccination during this period

Raymond Jaravaza, Zimpapers Reporter

The City of Bulawayo in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Child Care has begun a four day polio vaccination campaign across the city.

The campaign starts on Tuesday and ends on Friday following recent confirmation of an outbreak of circulating vaccine derived poliovirus type 2 (CVDPV2) in Malawi.

The targeted population for the vaccination campaign are all children under five years.

The vaccine will be administered at all municipal clinics, central hospitals, Mater Dei Hospital, selected private surgeries offering vaccination, crèches, primary schools, market places, churches, bus termini, and outreach points including house to house.

“The second phase of the Synchronised Novel Oral Polio Vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) vaccination campaign in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Child Care starts from Tuesday to Friday.

“This follows a notification about the recent confirmation of an outbreak of circulating vaccine derived poliovirus type 2 (CVDPV2) in Malawi.
The virus isolated through environmental surveillance is linked to the previous transmission in Harare
Metropolitan of July 2023,” said Town Clerk Mr Christopher Dube in a statement.
The campaign will be conducted across selected districts to protect children from CVDPV2, said Mr Dube.

“Furthermore, the campaign will be synchronized with Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique and Botswana.

“Vaccinating children at the same time in neighbouring countries and the selected districts in the country is aimed at preventing polio in moving from one area to another, preventing reinfection and interrupting outbreaks of CVDPV2,” he said.

Bulawayo was selected as it is the second largest city in Zimbabwe with a highly mobile population and busy transport routes.

“Urban centres are prioritised in outbreak response because viruses can spread quickly through dense populations and travel links.

“Polio is a highly infectious disease that can cause permanent paralysis, however, it is preventable through vaccination. Community participation is essential to ensure every eligible child is protected,”