Nigeria’s Nasarawa State to vaccinate Over 1M children in four-day polio campaign

NIGERIA — The Nasarawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, working alongside UNICEF, has announced plans to vaccinate more than one million children under the age of five during a four-day polio immunisation campaign beginning March 28, 2026.

Health workers will carry out the exercise simultaneously across all 13 local government areas of the state.

Why the campaign Is urgent

The World Health Organisation State Coordinator, Dr Bosede Ezekwe, made the announcement at a one-day media dialogue held in Lafia, the state capital, bringing together journalists, health experts, and key stakeholders.

She described polio as a highly infectious viral disease that primarily affects children under five and can cause lifelong paralysis or death.

She noted that two cases of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus were recorded in the state in October and November 2025, confirming that the virus is still actively spreading.

Outbreaks of this kind are more common in areas where immunisation coverage is low, leaving unvaccinated children most exposed.

Ezekwe also explained that polio spreads mainly through the faecal-oral route — via contaminated food, water, or unwashed hands — particularly in communities with poor sanitation.

Complicating matters further, infected individuals can carry and transmit the virus for weeks without showing any symptoms, making silent spread a serious concern.

Vaccines, Not Cures

Because there is currently no cure for polio, Ezekwe stressed that vaccination is the only reliable defence against the disease.

She urged parents and caregivers to ensure their children receive every scheduled dose.

“Children require multiple doses of the vaccine to achieve full protection. Every missed dose increases the risk of further transmission,” she said.

Health authorities will administer the oral polio vaccine—two drops into the mouth—which has been used safely worldwide for decades, alongside the newer nOPV2 vaccine, which carries a reduced risk of mutation.

Media consultant Dr Kalu Idika reminded journalists that they serve as a critical link between health authorities and the public.

He called on reporters to prioritise accurate, timely coverage and to actively challenge vaccine misinformation, which continues to undermine public health efforts.

Reaching Every Child

The campaign targets children aged zero to 59 months.

Trained health workers will conduct house-to-house visits and set up vaccination points at designated community locations to maximise coverage.

Stakeholders at the Lafia dialogue reaffirmed their commitment to the drive, emphasising that strong media participation will be essential to reaching the one-million-child target across the state.