07/12/2024
MoH Aims To Vaccinate 426,477 Children Nationally
The Ministry of Health (MoH), with partners such as the World Health Organization (WHO), and UNICEF, is embarking on the second round of an emergency polio vaccination campaign in the Gambia targeting to vaccinate four hundred and twenty-six thousand four hundred and seventy-seven (426,477), nationally and twenty-two thousand four hundred and seventy five (22, 475), at the regional level (North Bank West Region).
The vaccination camping is in response to an environmental outback of the polio disease.
The campaign is speeded by the Ministry of Health (MoH), with funding from the World Health Organization (WHO), aimed at combating the variant poliovirus as confirmed by health experts across the eight (8) countries.
The second round of the polio vaccination camping is scheduled to take place on December 12 - 16, 2024 in the Gambia to vaccinate an estimated 426,477 children under 59 months of age with a second dose of the novel oral polio vaccine type 2nd (nOPV2), vaccine.
This follows a first round, which was successfully implemented from 12 - 15 November 2024 and vaccinated 426481 children nationwide.
According to Ousman Bah, the Operation Officer on the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) at the regional health directorate of North Bank West Region, a minimum of two doses of nOPV2 are needed to interrupt poliovirus transmission.
