Adamawa Hits The Streets With Polio Vaccine For 1.3m Children

Adamawa State has kicked off its June 2025 round of oral polio vaccination, targeting more than 1.3 million children between the ages of 0 and 59 months.

Speaking during a press briefing on Saturday, the state government announced that the four-day campaign, scheduled from June 14 to 17, will see 1,572,300 doses of the vaccine administered to 1,379,814 children across all 21 local government areas.

Dr. James Vasumu, Director of Disease Control and Immunization in the state, revealed that extensive sensitization efforts had been carried out across the 226 wards to encourage parents to bring their under-five children for the free and essential vaccine.

The Executive Chairman of the Adamawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Suleiman Bashir, urged the media to help drive public awareness and promote full community participation in the campaign.

Highlighting lingering concerns among some residents, Bashir stated, “There’s still skepticism in some areas. We need to change perceptions within households, rebuild trust, and assure them the vaccine is safe. Government invests heavily to make these vaccines freely available.”

The Oral Polio Vaccination Campaign is a collaborative effort between the Federal Government, state governments, and international partners such as UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), and other non-governmental organizations.

Professor Georgina Odaibo, a virologist and representative from the national Emergency Operation Centre, emphasized the importance of sustaining polio-free status despite Nigeria having been declared free of wild poliovirus. She affirmed the vaccine’s safety and stressed the need for continued vigilance to prevent possible reintroduction of the virus through international exposure.