Borno to begin Yellow Fever vaccination on Wednesday
Borno State Government is set to commence an Integrated Yellow Fever Preventive Mass Vaccination Campaign in three of the 27 local government areas of the state.
The Permanent Secretary in the state’s Ministry of Health and Human Services, Mohammed Ghuluze, said in Maiduguri, Monday, July 10 the three LGAs are: Jere, MMC, and Ngala.
He did not announce when the campaign would take place in the other 24 local government areas.
Representing Governor Babagana Zulum at this year’s launch of the Integrated Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week, Ghuluze said the campaign would commence, July 12 and end, July 23, 2023.
“The Vaccination will be conducted at Health facilities and temporary fixed posts located within the communities aimed to provide preventive measures against yellow fever,” he announced.
“The targeted age group for the yellow fever vaccination is individuals ranging from 9 months to 44 years old,” the permanent secretary announced further, explaining that Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes.
“The “yellow” in the name refers to the jaundice that affects some patients,” Ghuluze explained further, maintaining that Yellow fever is prevented by an extremely effective vaccine, which is safe and free.
He noted that single dose of yellow fever vaccine is sufficient to grant sustained immunity and life-long protection against yellow fever disease.
The Executive Director, Borno State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Prof. Mohammed Arab, said the Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Week, campaign would take place from Monday, July 10 to Friday, July 14 2023.
Arab said the campaign would be conducted in 488 sites in health facilities and fixed post levels in 26 local government areas of the state.
“The core high-impact interventions of MNCHW are deworming, vitamin A supplementation, and nutritional screening for children; maternal nutrition and complementary services in antenatal care; as well as health promotion services,” he explained.
The MNCHW project, an initiative of an NGO, Alive and Thrive, is supported by FHI360 and funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
