Polio: Taraba Govt, Partners Commence lifesaving Vaccination
By Lynn Adda
The Taraba State Government has announced a new statewide polio vaccination campaign, with a call on parents to act now.
It has been stressed that immunisation remains one of the most powerful and reliable ways to protect children from the dangerous but preventable diseases.
According to health experts, vaccines do not only save individual lives, they protect entire communities by stopping diseases from spreading, preventing disability, and reducing the burden on families and the healthcare system.
Public health officials, insist immunisation has helped the world drastically reduce illnesses such as polio, measles, rubella and tetanus. Without vaccination, many children would be exposed to diseases that can cause permanent paralysis, hearing loss, brain damage or even death.
Vaccines help the body build natural protection, and when a large number of children are immunised, outbreaks become rare or disappear completely.
This is why regular vaccination campaigns remain essential, even in places that have already stamped out certain diseases.
To strengthen this protection, Taraba State government has announced that it will conduct a polio vaccination exercise from December 13 to 16, targeting all children aged 0–5 years.
Speaking during a media briefing in Jalingo on Thursday, Nafiu Umar, Head of the State Emergency Routine Immunization Coordination Centre (SERIC), said the campaign is part of ongoing efforts to keep Taraba’s children healthy and safe.
He thanked journalists and community influencers for their support during the recent Rubella vaccination campaign, which recorded a large turnout.
UNICEF’s representative in the state, Jennifer Dabo, described the Rubella turnout as the best ever seen in Taraba State, urging communities to show the same commitment towards the upcoming polio campaign.
She stressed that public awareness is key, as parents are more likely to vaccinate their children when they understand how safe and important the vaccines are.
The state immunisation officer, Dr. Tsamo Yaro explained that children under five will receive the polio vaccine, while children aged 0–23 months will benefit from other routine immunisation services.
He therefore advised parents to inform the vaccination team of any health conditions their children may have, saying that those with certain medical challenges may not be vaccinated for safety reasons.
The Public Relations Officer of the Agency, Victoria Danbaba, warned that myths and misinformation continue to discourage some families from allowing their children to be vaccinated.
She noted that although polio vaccines have been used safely around the world for decades, a few communities still hold doubts, making sensitisation more important than ever.
Recall that Nigeria was confirmed free of the original wild polio virus in August 2020, but some states are still seeing cases of another form of polio that appears when children are not properly vaccinated.
This happens mainly because routine immunisation levels are too low.
Health authorities warned that the only way to prevent the re-emergence of polio is to keep vaccination levels high.
The Taraba State Primary Health Care Department Agency is urging all parents and caregivers to take the campaign seriously and ensure their children are vaccinated during the four-day exercise.
Officials stressed that immunisation is free, safe and remains one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect children from polio and other deadly but preventable diseases.
