The Zomba District Health Office has announced that it will begin administering polio vaccines to children aged 0 to 10 from February 10 to 14.
Speaking during a press briefing, District Health Office spokesperson Arnold Mndalira said the vaccination exercise will be conducted with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF.
Mndalira explained that the campaign aims to protect children following a recent outbreak of polio in Blantyre District.
He said Zomba District targets to vaccinate at least 283,216 children during the exercise.
Mndalira added that health workers will move from door to door to administer the vaccine and urged all parents and guardians with children under the age of 10 — including those who have previously been vaccinated — to ensure their children receive the vaccine again.
He warned that failure to vaccinate puts children’s lives at risk, as polio is a dangerous disease that can cause death or permanent disability.
“Polio is a dangerous disease because it can kill and can also cause disability. Therefore, I am appealing to parents with children under the age of 10 to have them vaccinated,” said Mndalira.
Meanwhile, Zomba District Information Officer Solistor Mogha commended the Zomba District Health Office for organizing the press briefing.
Mogha also urged journalists to widely disseminate information about the vaccination campaign to ensure that many children in Zomba District benefit from the exercise.
