Ada, Sept. 2, GNA — Mr Prince Bawuah, the District Disease Control Officer, Ada-East, has stated that about 18,463 children in Ada will benefit from the ongoing polio vaccination taking place in 121 communities in the district to stop the transmission of poliovirus in the country.
Mr Bawuah, speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Ada, noted that polio was a disabling and life-threatening disease, which could spread from person to person and could infect a person’s spinal cord resulting in paralysis or death.
He added that sufficient doses of the vaccine eliminated the likelihood of paralysis from poliovirus infection, adding that newly born children received the vaccine two to three times before first anniversary of birth to be fully protected against the virus.
The Ada-East Disease Control Officer said the consequences of not vaccinating children under five years could lead to poliomyelitis, which mainly affects children under five years.
He said children, who never received or completed the polio vaccine series, are vulnerable to contracting and getting sick from poliovirus; stressing that “this could be paralysis or death, and it is proven that five to ten percent of paralysed children die when their breathing muscles become immobilized. »
Mr Bawuah said the polio vaccine had been given to millions of children across the world for years and had proven to be safe and effective
« This is a national effort in response to the Poliovirus outbreak across the country and, therefore, all children below the age of five needed to be reached and administered the vaccine, » he said.
He explained that the vaccine was free and contains the protection needed by children against the poliovirus.
He also called on the public to facilitate the adherence to good personal and environmental hygiene, as well as patronizing childhood immunization services within the various communities.
