BY TAIBAT UMMI YAKUBU

No child should be left unprotected against polio as Katsina State prepares to launch a fresh vaccination campaign targeting nearly 2.7 million children across 28 local government areas.

The state government has announced plans to reach 2,688,730 children between the ages of zero and five years during its November 2026 immunisation exercise, in what health authorities describe as another major step towards eliminating the poliovirus.

The campaign will deploy vaccination teams to households, public gathering points, transit locations and designated health posts, with additional arrangements to track down children who may be missed during the exercise.

The Acting Executive Secretary of the Katsina State Primary Health Care Agency, Dr Shaimau Abba, announced the plan on Thursday at a media briefing held in collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Katsina.

Represented by the agency's State Health Educator, Dr Mukhtar Mahmud, Abba explained that the vaccination programme would adopt a combination of approaches to overcome difficulties in reaching eligible children, particularly those whose parents might not be available when teams visit their homes.

Under the arrangement, vaccination activities will begin with two days of directly observed immunisation, followed by four days of house-to-house visits and two days of mobile vaccination operations.

The agency will also organise mop-up exercises to revisit communities and identify children who were not vaccinated during the main exercise.

Although the campaign will extend across 28 local government areas, six LGAs will not participate in this particular round.

Three vaccine formulations will be administered under the programme: novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2), bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV) and fractional inactivated polio vaccine (fIPV), depending on the approved eligibility requirements.

The government is also using the exercise to expand access to other essential health services, particularly for mothers and young children. These interventions will be delivered through the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) Week and related healthcare programmes.

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However, health officials say the success of the campaign will depend largely on whether families cooperate with vaccination teams and allow their children to receive the vaccines.

Abba therefore appealed to journalists, social media influencers, NYSC members and community stakeholders to take an active role in mobilising residents and addressing concerns that could discourage parents from participating.

She warned that misinformation and unverified claims could weaken public confidence in immunisation, urging media organisations to rely on authorised health officials for technical explanations and promptly correct misleading information circulating in communities.

The agency also wants the media to make one message clear to parents: previous participation in polio vaccination campaigns should not be a reason to reject the November exercise. Every child who meets the eligibility requirements must receive the recommended vaccines.

Community leaders and other influential individuals were equally encouraged to use their networks to persuade caregivers to cooperate with vaccination teams, while reporting complaints and operational challenges to the relevant authorities for prompt attention.

Abba assured residents that the agency would continue working with UNICEF and other development partners to ensure that the campaign achieves its objectives.

She said sustained public awareness, cooperation from households and coordinated efforts among stakeholders would be essential to ensuring that no eligible child was overlooked.

“Through accurate communication, community engagement and collective action, we can ensure that no child is missed. Together, let us end polio and protect every child in Katsina State,” she said.