The Jonglei State Ministry of Health has launched a four-day polio vaccination campaign targeting children aged between zero and five years across the state.
Health authorities say the exercise is intended to prevent the spread of the deadly Type One polio virus recently detected in Upper Nile State. Officials confirmed that the campaign will cover all nine counties of Jonglei State, as well as parts of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area.
Magok Aluong, the State Director for the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), urged mothers and caregivers to cooperate with health workers by waiting for mobile vaccination teams that will move from door to door administering the vaccine.
“We are calling on all mothers and caregivers to make sure their children receive the polio vaccine when our teams visit homes during the four-day campaign,” he said.
Magok said every vaccinated child will be protected against the disease and stressed that children who have already received routine immunization should still be given the additional two drops during the campaign.
“Even children who have already been vaccinated through routine immunization need these extra two drops for added protection against polio,” he stated.
Mothers in Jonglei welcomed the campaign and appealed to fellow parents to ensure their children are vaccinated.
“I will make sure all my children receive the vaccine because polio can destroy a child’s future,” said Nyajima Bol, a mother of three. “I encourage other mothers not to fear the vaccine and to cooperate with the health workers.”
The campaign is being supported by health partners, including the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
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