Repeat vaccination key to complete protection against polio: BCC

PARENTS and guardians with children that have previously been vaccinated against polio must ensure additional vaccines for complete protection against the deadly disease that kills thousands of toddlers across Africa.

The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Child Care, has started the third round of the Synchronised Novel Oral Polio Vaccine Type 2 (nOPV2) campaign aimed at strengthening immunity among children under the age of five and ensuring that no child is left unprotected. The campaign started yesterday and ends on Friday.

Vaccination teams will administer the oral vaccine free of charge at all municipal clinics, Cowdray Park Health Centre, central hospitals, Mater Dei Hospital, selected private surgeries offering vaccination services, crèches, primary schools, marketplaces, churches, bus termini and designated outreach points.

Health workers will also conduct house-to-house visits to reach children who may not be able to access fixed vaccination sites.

Some parents have raised concerns why their children, vaccinated in the first and second rounds of the vaccination campaigns in April and June respectively, must take their children for yet another round of vaccination.

Bulawayo director of health services Dr Edwin Mzingwane clarified the issue in an interview yesterday.

“Polio immunisation has efficacy rates that are below 100 percent so it is important for mothers and guardians to ensure that children receive repeat vaccination, which helps in making sure that every child is protected,” he said.

“Council and health authorities have also noted that while vaccination is advised and regular campaigns are conducted, it is difficult to enforce,” said Dr Mzingwane.

Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that primarily affects young children and can lead to irreversible paralysis.

Although there is no cure for the disease, it can be effectively prevented through vaccination.

Bulawayo had been prioritised because it is Zimbabwe’s second-largest city, characterised by a highly mobile population and extensive transport links, factors that can increase the risk of disease transmission.

Of late thousands of returnees, including Zimbabweans and foreign nationals that use the country as a transit nation to their respective countries, have passed through the city, amplify the need for another timely polio vaccination campaign.

The returnees are fleeing anti-immigration protests that have erupted in cities across South Africa, forcing foreign nationals to abandon their homes in fear of intimation, violence and in some cases death fueled by groups such as

March and March movement and other vigilante groups.

“The influx of returnees from South Africa, who include Bulawayo residents may affect our ability to ensure all children are vaccinated. The returnees also bring their children whose vaccination statuses are unknown,” said Dr Mzingwane.

He urged parents and guardians to take their children to health centres across the city for the third round of polio vaccination.

“Vaccination is effective and safe. To show the effective of polio vaccination campaigns, the Jairos Jiri centres are recording less number of children affected by polio in recent years,” he said.

According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Bulawayo and Harare have been identified as part of 20 polio hotspots border districts.

Polio vaccination campaigns in the hotspot districts have been synchronised to also take place in Zambia, Malawi, Botswana and Mozambique in response to polio outbreaks in the region.

“The novel oral polio vaccine (nOPV2) has been thoroughly tested and proven to be safe, stable, and effective in preventing polio. It has already been used worldwide, including in Zimbabwe, where millions of children have been safely vaccinated.

“Only very few minor adverse events have been reported, showing that the vaccine is well-tolerated. Its success depends on reaching as many children as possible, which is why high coverage through repeated campaigns is essential to stop the spread of the virus,” said the ministry.

In a statement, Bulawayo Town Clerk Mr Christopher Dube advised residents and stakeholders of the vaccination exercise and urged them to respond to the campaign.

“Round 3 seeks to strengthen immunity among children under five years of age and ensure that no child is left unprotected,” he said.

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