Gombe Govt commences Integrated Immunisation Campaign Against Killer Diseases with 14,300 officials
No fewer than 14,300 Gombe State officials are expected to participate in the integrated mass vaccination campaign against Measles, Yellow Fever, Meningitis, Tetanus, COVID-19, Polio, vitamin A deficiency, commencing on the 16th of June 2022.
Disclosing this on Wednesday during media conference, Dr. Habu Dahiru, Commissioner for Health said they would be trained to carry the necessary field work towards ensuring that there target was met.
According to him, about 3.1 million persons were expected to benefit from the exercise, adding that vaccination teams would be at fixed posts in health facilities, temporary posts within communities and mobile posts at special places such as mosques, churches, schools and play grounds.
The Commissioner said, “We have 14,300 personnel they cut across vaccinators, recorders, community influencers and those that coordinate, team supervisors I’m the team we have the community leaders and they are all available. We will have to do refresher training for them, so that we don’t get adverse effects.”
He revealed statistics of previous outbreaks from April 2022 based on confirmed laboratory cases to include; Measles 114 cases, Meningitis 12 cases and Covid-19 (since outbreak in 2019) 3,306 from index case, adding that efforts were on to forestall a reoccurrence.
“We are all aware that diseases such as Measles, Yellow fever, Meningitis, Tetanus, Covid-19, Polio, vitamin A deficiency amongst others still pose a major challenge to public health. Findings suggest that there are many public health challenges that make Gombe State at risk,” he added.
While calling on residents to take the opportunity of exercise to get themselves immunised as well as their children, Dahiru stressed that immunisation was a deliberate effort at making the populace safe.
Dahiru added, “Measles vaccine; children aged 9 to 59 months, Meningitis (Men-A) vaccine; children aged 10 to 11 years, Yellow-Fever vaccine; children and adult aged between 9 months to 44 years, Polio vaccine will be given to children aged 0 to 59 months, Vitamin-A Capsules; children 6 to 11 Months (Blue) and 12 to 59 months (Red) while COVID-19 for adult 18 years & above.”
The Commissioner lauded the support of traditional and religious institutions, as well as National Primary Healthcare Development Agency and donor partners.
“This campaign is for both male and female, children and adult, married and single. We commend the State Governor and the Primary Healthcare Development Agency, all development partners, religious and traditional institutions for their total support and cooperation,” the Commissioner said.
