2.9 million Rwandese children under 7 years immunized against polio in the first week of nationwide polio vaccination drive

RWANDA — In a concerted effort to safeguard the health of its youngest citizens, the Rwandan Ministry of Health has embarked on an expansive campaign to administer the crucial second dose of the oral polio vaccine to children under the age of seven.

This monumental initiative, which kicked off on Monday, is aimed at ensuring that every eligible child within the specified age bracket is provided with this vital safeguard against the debilitating effects of polio.

Hassan Sibomana, the head of the vaccination unit at the Rwanda Biomedical Center, the ministry’s health implementation arm, revealed that this comprehensive vaccination drive is slated to continue until the end of the week.

Their ambitious goal is to reach every child within the targeted age group and administer the vital second dose.

“The first round of vaccinations conducted in July was an undeniable success, with a staggering 2.9 million children receiving their initial dose.

Building on this momentum, we are determined to ensure that each and every one of these children receives the essential second dose,” Sibomana stated during a press conference in the Rwandan capital, Kigali.

Crucially, the second dose of the oral polio vaccine will be brought directly to homes by dedicated community health workers.

This strategic approach aims to ensure that no child is left without protection. Even after the mass vaccination campaign concludes, routine vaccinations will persist at healthcare facilities to maintain a robust shield against polio.

This nationwide vaccination drive in Rwanda comes on the heels of concerning reports of polio outbreaks in neighboring nations.

Remarkably, the last recorded case of polio in Rwanda dates back three decades, underscoring the nation’s remarkable success in eradicating the disease.

Polio is a highly contagious illness that attacks the nervous system, potentially resulting in paralysis, primarily afflicting children under five years of age. It typically spreads through person-to-person transmission, primarily through the fecal-oral route.

The Rwandan government’s decision to immunize children against type 2 polio is a proactive response to the threats posed by recent cases in various countries, including Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Burundi.

Previously, the last reported instance of type 2 poliovirus in Rwanda occurred in 1993, with global cases having been last reported in India in 1999.

However, in a disconcerting turn of events, Malawi reported a resurgence in 2022, followed by Burundi’s reporting of cases in 2023.

Hassan Sibomana, Acting Division Manager for Maternal, Child, and Community Health at the Rwanda Biomedical Center, emphasized the potential for infected children without symptoms to unknowingly spread the virus.

“If one child begins to exhibit signs of polio, they may have already transmitted the virus to many of their peers. When we became aware of the polio problem in neighboring DR Congo and Burundi, we swiftly mobilized to initiate this vaccination drive,” he remarked.

This comprehensive vaccination campaign in Rwanda is specifically focused on children under the age of seven, a group that missed out on the polio 2 vaccine due to their birth occurring during a period when it was removed from the international vaccination program.

Notably, in April 2016, the World Health Organization declared the global eradication of Polio 2.

The origins of polio can be traced back to ancient times, with the first clinical description by British physician Michael Underwood in 1789. It was formally recognized as a medical condition in 1840 by German physician Jakob Heine.

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