The Municipality of Chitungwiza’s health department will embark on the fourth round of the polio vaccination campaign during the period 10-13 October 2023.
In a public notice, the local authority said vaccination teams will be moving from house to house, schools, creches and shopping centres and markets vaccinating all eligible children during the four-day period. It said:
Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious viral disease caused by poliovirus that largely affects children under 5 years of age.
The virus is transmitted by person-to-person spread mainly through the faecal-oral route or, by contaminated water or and multiplies in the intestine, from where it can affect the nervous system and cause paralysis.
Zimbabwe has been polio-free since 1989, but now the country is at high risk of infection from the Polio virus.
The virus has already been reported in neighbouring high-risk countries, Malawi and Mozambique.
In 2022, the country made a recommendable success in conducting three rounds of a nationwide oral polio vaccination campaign.
According to the recommendation from the World Health Organization, there is a need to conduct at least four rounds of oral polio vaccination for children below the age of 5 years.
Following this recommendation, the Ministry of Health and Child Care will be conducting the fourth round of oral polio vaccination from 10-13 October 2023
Finger Marking NB: A finger mark is an indication that a child is vaccinated with OPV. We are targeting ALL children 0-59 months (below 5 years).
The vaccination teams will be moving from house to house, schools, creches and at shopping centres and markets vaccinating all eligible children.
Most people who contract the virus do not experience any symptoms, but in some cases, polio can cause mild to severe symptoms, including, fever, sore throat, headache, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, stiffness in the neck and back, muscle weakness or paralysis (usually in the legs), difficulty swallowing or breathing, abnormal reflexes, and muscle pain or tenderness.
There is no cure for polio, but treatment can help manage the symptoms and prevent complications.
The polio vaccine is highly effective in preventing infection and is recommended for all children.
In addition, good hygiene practices, such as washing hands regularly, can help prevent the spread of the virus.
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