After two cases of the type 2 polio virus were reported in the East region of the Cameroon, the Public Health Ministry has embarked on strengthening the immunity of children below five via a nationwide vaccination campaign.
The campaign targets 6.7 million children aged 0-5, and runs from 24th -27th October across the country. A total of 1.701.762 children are will be vaccinated in the Far North region.
“Vaccination is a safety issue for our children’s health. It is a strong shield that protects them from serious diseases like poliomyelitis which is a highly contagious and disabling viral disease. It is circulating in our communities. Let’s stop the spread of this disease in our children aged 0-5years,” Adela Carine, head of the vaccination unit of the University Teaching Hospital, said.
The new vaccination campaign is part of efforts to roll back the disease which irreversibly paralyzes one out of every 200 cases, according to the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI).
“Vaccination remains our best weapon against poliomyelitis. Every child vaccinated is one step closer to a polio-free Cameroon,” Dr. Manaouda Malachie said while granting a press briefing to mark the World Polio Day in Cameroon.
Vaccination provides a life long protection against this highly contagious disease known to be “transmitted by person-to-person spread mainly through the faecal-oral route or, less frequently, by a common vehicle (e.g. contaminated water or food) and multiplies in the intestine, from where it can invade the nervous system and cause paralysis,” according to the World Health Organization.
For four days, vaccination teams will move from door to door, markets, churches and other public places to administer the jab to children within the required age range. The vaccinators will visit schools on 28-29 October to administer the vaccines. Each child will be administered two drops of the novel oral polio vaccine (nOPV2).
The vaccination exercise is specially intended to permit children who have never taken a polio vaccine or those who missed a dose to catch up.
“It is very important to vaccinate children, especially those below five who are susceptible to having severe forms of the disease because their central nervous system is not yet fully developed,” Dr. Kofana Fabiola says.
Cameroon was declared polio-free in 2020, almost four years after a case was reported in the African region. However in 2021, the country began grappling with the type-2 poliovirus variant in circulation. The most recent case was reported in September 2024.
Aside the frequent vaccinations campaigns, the Ministry of Public Health has stepped up awareness, enhanced surveillance and response to vaccination and subregional coordination to keep the virus at bay.
Experts of the Expanded Programme Immunization( EPI) are hopeful that the new vaccination campaign will contribute to achieving a-90%-vaccination coverage required to stop the virus from spreading.
Kathy Neba Sina
