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From Sola Ojo, Abuja
Health authorities in Kaduna State have announced plans to commence the second round of the ongoing polio outbreak response campaign in early May, urging parents and caregivers to ensure all eligible children are vaccinated.
Speaking during a media engagement ahead of the exercise, Health Educator, Kaduna State Primary Health Care Board, Yushau Isah, said the meeting was part of routine collaboration with journalists and stakeholders to support public health interventions. He noted that the campaign coincided with the commemoration of World Vaccination Week and Africa Vaccination Week, held from April 24 to 30, 2026.
Isah described immunisation as critical to preventing childhood deaths and controlling vaccine-preventable diseases, adding that Kaduna remains one of the top-performing states in immunisation coverage in northern Nigeria.
“Vaccination has helped us contain many deadly diseases. From available survey records, Kaduna ranks among the highest in immunisation coverage across antigens in the North and leads in the North-West region,” he said.
He disclosed that during the last campaign conducted in March, the state exceeded its target, vaccinating over 2.8 million children against an initial projection of 2.7 million, achieving more than 100 per cent coverage.
Despite the gains, Isah acknowledged that some children were still missed due to non-compliance and access challenges, stressing that renewed strategies are being deployed to reach every eligible child.
“Our goal remains to ensure that every child receives complete vaccination as scheduled,” he said.
He called on media organisations, traditional and religious leaders, and other stakeholders to intensify community mobilisation efforts to educate parents on the benefits of vaccination and the risks of leaving children unprotected.
According to him, the state has adopted multiple engagement strategies, including community sensitisation campaigns and the use of educational video clips to improve awareness and acceptance.
Health workers were also urged to sustain public trust by delivering quality and accessible services across communities.
