Unvaccinated children at risk of polio – Taraba govt  

Taraba State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Bordiya G. Buma, has warned parents and guardians of the increased risk of polio infection for children who are not fully vaccinated. 

Speaking yesterday, at the flag off of the October 2024 Outbreak Response (OBR), which took place in Mayio-Gwai, Primary Health Care Center (PHCC), the commissioner emphasised that children who miss their polio vaccines are vulnerable to the disease which can lead to lifelong paralysis.

He called on communities across the state to support ongoing vaccination efforts, stressing that protecting children through full immunization is essential to prevent the resurgence of polio, especially in areas where the virus remains a threat. 

He urged parents to ensure their children complete the full vaccination schedule to safeguard their health and contribute to broader public safety.

While praising the state governor, Dr Agbu Kefas, for his commitment to ensuring better health for Tarabans, he reminded the people that polio is a highly infectious disease that largely affects children under five years.

He said polio can cause permanent paralysis in approximately one in every 200 infections and death of 2-10% of those paralyzed.

Stressing that transmission from person to person is through the fecal-oral route, Children who are not fully vaccinated, as made known by him, “are at high risk of infection with polio.”

“There is no cure for polio, the only available weapon we have is vaccination. This campaign targets the circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (eVDPV). Halting the transmission of CVDPV in every community in Nigeria through vaccination is the surest way to eradicate polio in Nigeria,” he stated.

The Executive Secretary of Taraba State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Tukura Nuhu, called for all hands on deck to halt a potential polio outbreak in the state.

Reiterating their commitments to join forces with the state to eradicate all forms of child killer diseases from the state, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organization (WHO), Chigari Foundation, and other Implementing Partners, vowed to work around the clock with the relevant stakeholders to ensure the success of the ongoing campaign.