Malawi to Vaccinate Over 8 Million Children Against Polio in Two Rounds
The Ministry of Health in Malawi plans to vaccinate over 8 million children under the age of 15 against polio in two rounds, starting July 12, 2023.
MPONELA, MALAWI —The Ministry of Health in Malawi has announced plans to vaccinate over 8 million children under the age of 15 against polio in two rounds, writes Abraham Bisayi.
The first round of vaccinations will take place from July 12 to July 15, 2023, and the second round will take place in September of the same year.
"We are urging parents to bring their children to vaccination centres to receive the polio vaccine," said Adrian Chikumbe, the Ministry of Health's Publicist.
"Polio is a highly contagious disease that can cause paralysis, and the polio vaccine is safe and effective."
The vaccination campaign is being carried out in response to the recent outbreak of polio in Malawi.
In 2022, the country reported nine cases of polio, the first cases in 30 years.
The outbreak is believed to have been caused by the importation of the virus from Pakistan.
"The vaccination campaign is a critical step in the fight to eradicate polio in Malawi," said Dr. Boston Zimba, the World Health Organization's Expanded Programme Immunization Officer.
"By vaccinating children, we are helping to protect them from this disabling disease and to keep Malawi polio-free."
The Ministry of Health is working with partners, including the WHO, to ensure that the vaccination campaign is successful.
The WHO has provided technical and financial support for the campaign, and it is also providing training to health workers.
The vaccination campaign will target children under the age of 15 because they are most at risk of contracting polio.
The polio vaccine is given orally, and it is safe and effective.
The vaccination campaign is being carried out in collaboration with the WHO and other partners. The goal of the vaccination campaign is to eradicate polio from Malawi.