By Takudzwa Josiah
Polio mainly affects children under 5 years of age. Statistics show that cases due to wild poliovirus have decreased by over 99% since 1988, from an estimated 350 000 cases then, to 6 reported cases in 2021, but according to the World Health Organization, as long as a single child remains infected, children in all countries are at risk of contracting polio.
The Health and Child Care Ministry has rolled out a polio vaccination campaign aimed at ensuring there is no resurgence of the viral disease.
In an interview, the Ministry’s spokesperson Donald Mujiri said, “there is a massive vaccination campaign being rolled out and parents can get their children vaccinated at home, in school, at bus termini, and at the nearest health institutions.”
He added that, “those that have been vaccinated before can also be vaccinated again for increased protection.
Meanwhile, Former Health minister Dr. David Parirenyatwa emphasized the need to “raise awareness on the importance of vaccination against polio to avoid the situation the country had with the recent measles outbreak which claimed more than 6000 lives.”
Polio is transmitted through contaminated water or food, or contact with an infected person.