Morobe completes polio immunisation training

MOROBE completed training on the expanded programme on immunisation (EPI) with its final batch of participants last week, following a polio outbreak.
The Government last month confirmed circulation of vaccine derived polio virus in the province.
Polio is an infectious disease which is normally spread through the faeces of infected persons which contaminates water or food.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the “vaccine-derived poliovirus” is a mutated version of the weaker polio virus used in vaccinations.
Vaccine-derived polioviruses are rare, and tend to occur in populations with very low vaccination rates.
They develop when children who have not been vaccinated come into contact with the excrement of vaccinated children, and are exposed to the weaker virus.
Urban settlements have no proper water and sanitation facilities, and lack health awareness.
Morobe health programme adviser Micah Yawing said preparations were underway for the first round of vaccination on July 16. There will be four rounds of vaccination – in July, August, September and October.
“District and health facilities staff were all trained by WHO to carry out immunisation,” he said.
“We hope that we can start off the first round on time as scheduled and make sure all our children under five are immunised.”
He said training this week would be on the operational plan for immunisation.
Participants are to be trained on collecting data, calculating targeted population up to five-year-olds and the number of vaccines to be used.
They are trained to find out the number of dropouts – children who did not complete vaccination.