Plateau State Government, has kick-started the second round of the house-to-house administering of Seasonal Malaria Chemprevention (SMC) vaccination starting from yesterday July 25, 2024.
The State Roll Back Malaria Programme Officer and the State Malaria Elimination Programme Manager, Nurse Adak Kizito Guhumnan, disclosed this Wednesday, while addressing Journalists at the State Headquarters of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Jos, the State capital.
The Programme Manager, revealed that they have administered these SMC vaccines to over nine hundred and fifty (950) children across the three hundred and twenty-five Wards of the State last month.
He said, “the first round of vaccines we have administered last month, June 27 to 30, 2024, using our ad-hoc staff going house-to-house to administer those medication, we were able to administer to over 950 children.
“Now, we are embarking on the second round of SMC vaccines tomorrow, the July 25 to June 28, 2024. That is why we are meeting Journalists both print and electronic to inform them of our planned kickoff and also help send the message to the public”, he disclosed.
Guhumnan, explained that the vaccines were to protect children from malaria infection and it is mainly for children who were of age three to fifty-nine months and that, it was incumbent on them as health ministry to ensure that no child died of malaria.
He added that, it was for this reason that the Plateau State Government, has acquired and kept in stock over four million(4m) doses of Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) ready for immunising these children across the State.
The Programme Manager, however, cleared doubts rising from some quartets that, the vaccines might have negative effect on the children saying, “why would government acquire what would kill it citizens?
“People should know that, drugs accepted by government and recommended to its citizens must be tested and trusted. Is it logical to allow what would kill the people you govern? Then, where will you get people to support your government.
“Let me tell you that, the World Health Organisation (WHO), has inspected the vaccine and has approved that this vaccine has no negative effect on the children and countries across the globe are using this vaccine”, he affirmed.
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