Polio vaccine for all children aged five and under in Sabah

TUARAN, Dec 27 -- Children aged five and under in Sabah will be given oral polio vaccine in an effort to prevent the spread of the virus which was discovered in the state recently, said state Health and People’s Well-being Minister Datuk Frankie Poon Ming Fung.

He said the polio vaccination drive would be carried out in stages to keep Sabah free of polio.

To achieve this, he said, the Sabah Health Department (JKNS) would expand its polio vaccination campaign to all districts in Sabah especially among those at risk.

“The main objective of the campaign is to get all children under the age of five to be given oral polio vaccination and to prevent the occurrence of polio infection in Sabah,” he said.

He said this at the launch of the 2019/2020 Polio Immunisation Campaign at Taman Telipok Ria hall, here today.

The campaign which commenced today has provided polio vaccination to more than 1,000 children in the area.

Meanwhile, JKNS director Datuk Christina Rundi said her department had set a target to get every child in Sabah received two doses of polio vaccine by June next year.

One of the parents, Darna Amir, 33, said she turned up today to obtain additional immunisation for her 11-month-old baby.

Another parent, Norina Masidin, 32, was grateful that JKNS showed a deep concern over the health of the people in the area.

She also admonished those who were against vaccination among children by describing them being lack of knowledge and exposure on polio which has no cure.

-- BERNAMA