‘Get under-five children vaccinated against polio’

Traditional Authority (T/A) Mwaulambya of Chitipa District has urged his subjects to get their under-five children vaccinated against polio.

Ministry of Health started administering the third phase of the vaccination yesterday. The exercise will end on Sunday, August 14.

Speaking during the launch of the vaccination campaign at Chitipa Boma yesterday, Mwaulambya condemned people in the district who refuse to get their children vaccinated.

“I welcome the third phase of the campaign. Together with other traditional leaders, we will encourage people to have their children vaccinated against polio,” he said.

Chitipa district director of health and social services, Wilson Ching’ani, said they are geared to perform better during the third phase.

A community member, Joyce Nyondo, said she was ready to take her child to a health centre to get vaccinated against polio.

“During the first two phases, we performed better. In the first phase, we registered 98 percent and in the second phase, we registered 101 percent. Now, in this third phase, we are equally prepared to perform better,” he said.

Some of the delegates to the event included representatives of Unicef, World Health Organisation as well as Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, who are supporting the initiative in the district.