The North West Region of Cameroon is set to embark on a synchronized polio vaccination campaign, scheduled to take place from April 24 to 27, 2025. This information was disclosed during a press briefing at the North West Regional Delegation of Public Health on Saturday, April 19, 2025.
Dr. Cornelius Chebo, the Regional Coordinator for the Expanded Program on Immunization(EPI) revealed that the campaign aims to strengthen herd immunity in children under five years of age against poliovirus type 2 by vaccinating all children in this age group with the new Oral Polio Vaccine type 2 (nOPV2).
According to Dr. Cornelius Chebo, the campaign will target 340,000 children aged 0 to 59 months in the North West region. "We hope that by the close of the 27th of April, we will have been able to have all these children 0 to 59 months vaccinated against polio so that our children's immune systems can be strengthened," he said.
The campaign is in response to the circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) epidemic in Cameroon. Between January and March 2025, eight cases of cVDPV2 were isolated, indicating that the region is not free from the epidemic.
Ngon Yvette Ndey, Chief of Communication for the EPI, emphasized the importance of the campaign, saying, "Poliovirus causes irreversible paralysis of the limbs, and the paralyzed child becomes a burden on the family, the community, and the country."
The oral polio vaccine (nOPV2) will be administered door-to-door in fixed health facilities and temporary fixed sites such as markets and schools. The vaccine is free, and teams will be available at health facilities for those who miss the door-to-door vaccination.
Dr. Chebo urged parents to make their children available for vaccination and ensure their doors are open to vaccination teams. "If it were not that important, these huge resources would not have been made available to make our country free of polio," he said.
The campaign will be synchronized with other countries in the Lake Chad Basin, including Nigeria, Central African Republic, Chad, and Niger. The goal is to stop the transmission of poliovirus variants and prevent epidemics in non-endemic countries by 2028.
Dr. Chebo emphasized that poliomyelitis is a highly contagious viral disease caused by the poliovirus, transmitted through contaminated water or food. According to him, children under 5 years of age are the most affected, and the virus causes irreversible paralysis of the limbs.
To prevent polio, the EPI North West Regional Coordinator insisted that parents should prioritize vaccination, hygiene measures, and proper sanitation. "Vaccines are there to strengthen children and not to weaken them," Dr. Chebo said.
The campaign aims to achieve at least 95% coverage in all areas, with a focus on reaching every child aged 0 to 59 months. Community participation and cooperation are essential to making the campaign a success.
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