The city of Bulawayo is set to roll out the second phase of the polio vaccination campaign, despite performing well in the first phase.
In a statement released on Thursday, Town Clerk Christopher Dube announced the second round will be conducted from Tuesday, March 19, 2024, to Friday, March 22, 2024. This round will target all children aged 0 to under 10 years old.
Dube explained that while Bulawayo surpassed the 95% target during the first phase, some children remain unvaccinated.
“The city of Bulawayo will be participating in the second round National Novel Oral Polio Vaccine Type 2 (nOPV2) campaign, in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE), and partners. This campaign follows the confirmation of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in Harare Metropolitan Province through environmental surveillance and an Acute Flaccid Paralysis case from Sanyati district, Mashonaland West province. In response to the outbreak, the nOPV2 will continue to be used,” he stated.
“The first-round campaign was conducted from February 20th to 23rd, 2024. The city achieved a remarkable 111%, surpassing the expected target of 95%. This is likely attributed to robust social mobilization efforts by all stakeholders, dedicated staff, reaching the mobile population, and the heightened awareness of caregivers regarding the risk of poliomyelitis,” Dube added.
Despite the success of the first round, Dube acknowledged the presence of unvaccinated children in the community noting that it poses a potential risk of an outbreak in Bulawayo.
Vaccines will be available at all municipal clinics, central hospitals, Mater Dei Hospital, selected private surgeries offering vaccinations, creches, primary schools, marketplaces, bus terminals, and through outreach points, including house-to-house visits.
