By David Uka, Abakiliki
Ebonyi state government has commenced mass vaccination campaign against yellow fever virus in three local government areas of the state; Izzi, Ebonyi and Abakiliki where the outbreak of the disease were recorded last month.
Those that would be immunized are from 9 months to 44 years which constitutes 85 percent of the population.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Daniel Umezurike who made this known to Journalists in Abakaliki explained that the mass vaccination would last for 10 days.
He said Government is targeting to vaccinate about 1.121.021 million persons against the virus.
Dr. Umezurike noted that the immunization would not be a house to house activity, urging residents to go to the nearest designated posts for the vaccine.
He called on community leaders, clergymen, heads of schools and teachers to cooperate with the vaccinators.
“The approved mass vaccination campaign against yellow fever will be in 3 LGAs: Izzi, Ebonyi and Abakaliki and it will start from 6th to 16th September, 2019
“For this activity 374 teams will be working in the 3 LGAs targeting to immunize everybody between 9 months to 44 years which constitutes 85 percent of the population.
“The target population in these three LGAs are 1,121.021 persons and every arrangement has been made to achieve a successful campaign with good coverage and it shall not be house to house activity”, he explained.
Umezurike further noted that a single dose of 0.5 ml injection would be administered by the team during the exercise.
It would be that there has been an outbreak of the disease in the state with some deaths recorded.
The outbreak began on 15 July, 2019.