Yobe Govt Vaccinates 43,720 Children Against Poliomyelitis

The Yobe State government has vaccinated 43,720 children against poliomyelitis during the 2026 supplementary immunisation activities that targeted responses to close immunity gaps across the 17 local government areas of the state.

The Commissioner for Health, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Hadiza Sabo, disclosed this at the commemoration of World Polio Day in Damaturu, the state capital.

Sabo explained that the figures demonstrate the scale of mobilization and delivery, with vaccination figures above 100 percent, which remind them of the importance of validating target populations and microplanning denominators.

“We must use data not only to report progress, but to identify gaps, improve the accuracy of planning, follow up the seven settlements reported as unreached and ensure that every eligible child is accounted for”

“These achievements belong to the collective effort of our health teams, community mobilisers, supervisors, surveillance officers, data teams, local government authorities and partners. I particularly acknowledge the commitment of our Royal Fathers, traditional rulers, district and ward heads, religious leaders and community influencers,” she said.

The Permanent Secretary, however, adds that the progress made should not be allowed to create a false sense of security, stressing that the remaining rounds of the polio campaigns scheduled for November and December 2026 are critical opportunities to consolidate the gains achieved this year and close the outstanding immunity gaps.

“I solicit renewed operational resources, timely mobilization, quality data and, reliable vaccine and cold-chain arrangements, strong social mobilization, quality data and prompt follow-up of missed children and unreached settlements”

In his remarks, the State Coordinator of the World Health Organisation, Hamisu Alhassan, charged all parents to ensure their children are taken to the nearest health facility for routine immunization and other essential health services, saying they should not wait for campaigns before protecting their children from the diseases.