The Adamawa State Government on Saturday kicked off its June 2025 round of oral polio vaccination, targeting over 1.3 million children aged between 0 and 59 months.
Speaking at a press briefing marking the start of the four-day campaign, which runs from June 14 to June 17, officials disclosed that the state has secured 1,572,300 doses of the vaccine to cover the estimated 1,379,814 eligible children across the 21 local government areas.
Director of Disease Control and Immunization, Dr. James Vasumu, noted that parents across all 226 wards in the state have been adequately sensitized to ensure they present their under-five children for the vital vaccination.
Executive Chairman of the Adamawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Suleiman Bashir, appealed to the media to support the campaign, stressing that widespread public engagement is crucial for achieving full community acceptance.
“We need behavioural change among households. We need them to believe that the vaccine is safe and to access this vaccination which government spends much money to make available for free,” Bashir said.
Despite Nigeria being certified free of wild poliovirus, health officials emphasized the importance of continued vaccination to prevent any possible resurgence.
A virologist and national representative from the Emergency Operation Centre, Professor Georgina Odaibo, reaffirmed the vaccine’s safety and necessity.
She said, “Though Nigeria is free of wild polio, the vaccination is necessary to reinforce the country’s status and ensure that no Nigerian falls victim should any infected foreigner get into the country.”
The oral polio campaign is being carried out through a collaborative effort involving the federal and state governments, along with global health partners such as UNICEF, WHO, and other supporting NGOs.
