Lagos launches polio response across 57 councils as new cases emerge

The Lagos State Government has announced plans to conduct a polio outbreak response exercise from 18 to 22 January across all 20 local governments areas and 37 local council development areas.

The response comes in light of recent reports of new polio cases in Nigeria and other countries.

The Supervising Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Primary Healthcare Board, Abimbola Bowale, emphasised the need for prompt action to maintain the country’s polio-free status.

Mr Bowale stated that during this period, vaccination teams will visit residential homes, schools, churches, mosques, gated estates, and other public places to vaccinate eligible children.

“If we become complacent, the entire country is vulnerable to reinfection by the wild poliovirus, especially with a recent outbreak of wild polio-virus type 1 in Malawi and Mozambique,” he said.

Mr Bowale called for improved routine immunisation coverage to halt the transmission of Circulating Vaccine-Derived…