Malam Aliyu Abubakar, a local immunisation official, says use of packets of indomie noodle as social mobilisation strategy is boosting polio immunisation in Dange-Shuni Local Government Area of Sokoto state.
APC Aspirants Paid as Much as N50million to Secure Last Minute Party Tickets
Abubakar,vwho is the Local Government Immunisation Officer,bmade this known at a news briefing at the Local Government National Polio Immunisation (NPI) centre on Sunday.
He explained that while the initial target for the exercise was 58,813 children, many more parents turned up in order to get the package.
“There is so much turnout, in fact the plus package ‘the Indomie’ served as a mobiliser for the exercise as many parents brought their children to be
immunized.
“We even exceed our daily target because of the number of children that come out to be immunised since the beginning of the exercise,” he said.
Abubakar said that eight local government areas out of the 23 local government areas were expected to benefit from the current exercise, including Bodinga, Kwara, Yabo, Sokoto South, Sokoto North, Wamakko, Dange/Shuni and Wurno.
He explained that there were 49 fixed points in the local government where children are being immunised.
Another Immunisation Officer, Malam Isa Aminu, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the exercise.
“Now none of our people reject the vaccine because a lot of sensitisation has been made in the local government area.
“The traditional and religious leaders have also lent their support in mobilising the households to allow their children to be immunised as it would boost their health,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that it has always been a difficult task convincing parents in many of the states in the North-west to embrace immunisation
They reject the exercise because of their belief that the polio immunisation is another strategy to introduce family planning by sterilising their young ones.
However, a victim of wild polio, Malam Zakari Bello, who took part in the exercise told NAN thus: “I am involved in the immunisation work.
“I do administer polio vaccine on children successfully so that our children will not end up in a wheel chair like us.’