From: Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
About one million people are expected to receive Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) in the 5-day vaccination campaigns against Cholera, in Borno State.
The exercise, which started, on Monday, following the outbreak of Cholera in camps for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), would end on Friday.
The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Haruna Mshelia, disclosed this at the flag-off of the vaccination in Maiduguri, on Tuesday. He said any child above age one could receive the oral vaccine.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) which is leading the campaign with other national and international partners, said 915, 005 doses of Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) had been delivered to Nigeria for use in Borno State.
“The 915, 005 doses of Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) from the Gavi-funded global stockpile managed by WHO have already arrived the country,” the world health body said in a statement, on Tuesday.
It said vaccination would take place at Muna IDPs camp in Maiduguri, worse hit with about 30 dead and 1,113 cases reported in two weeks. Other areas targeted included Jere, Dikwa and Monguno towns liberated from Boko Haram by the military in 2015. A total of 44 persons have been killed by cholera in Borno with nearly 2000 affected persons already treated.
Deputy Local Immunisation Officer (LIO) Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, Babakolo Waziri, told journalists during the monitoring of the campaign, that 348, 418 doses had been received to conduct the vaccination.
He said the council targeted same number of persons, while disclosing that 268 teams assisted by 268 community leaders would handle the campaign at the metropolis.
The outbreak of Cholera in the state was believed to have exacerbated humanitarian crisis in the area bedevilled by over six years insurgency that had displaced about 3 million people.