BY MUSA IDRIS UMAR

The Borno State Government, through its State Primary Health Care Development Agency (SPHCDA), has announced plans to conduct a Fifth Outbreak Response (OBR5) polio vaccination exercise across all 27 local government areas (LGAs) of the state.

The announcement was made in a statement issued on Wednesday by the directorate of information, ministry of information and internal security.

The exercise, scheduled to take place from November 28 to December 3, 2024, aims to maintain the state's polio-free status, which was achieved on August 25, 2020.

Despite being certified polio-free, the risk of polio infection remains due to the existence of the wild poliovirus in other parts of the world.

To mitigate this risk, the state government will conduct high-quality Immunization Plus Days (IPDs) to prevent the transmission of poliovirus and support ongoing efforts to improve immunization services.

In the statement, residents of Borno State are urged to cooperate with polio vaccination teams, who will visit homes, streets, schools, mosques, churches, IDP camps, motor parks, border communities, and special places during the exercise.

The teams will immunize eligible children under the age of 5 against polio.