Ministry shifts 3rd round of polio vaccine to August
Preparation challenges have forced Ministry of Health to shift the third round of the polio vaccination to August 11 to 14 this year, it has emerged.
The exercise was scheduled to take place from July 21 to 24.
Ministry of Health Principal Secretary Charles Mwansambo said in an interview yesterday an assessment of the country’s preparedness for the third round showed there were still preparedness gaps which threatened the quality of the campaign if not addressed.
He asked district councils to, among others, utilise the additional time to ensure established and functional Emergency Operations Centre for proper planning, coordinating and financing of the campaign.
Mwansambo further said although the country achieved good vaccine coverage during rounds one and two, the Lot Quality Assessment Survey indicated that some children were missed during those rounds.
He said: “As a way of improving the quality of the campaign for the remaining two rounds, the ministry and partners have planned to shift the dates of round three polio vaccinations.
“This arrangement will give more time to districts, under the leadership of the district commissioners, to prepare for round three of the campaign hence ensuring a good quality campaign.”
Malawi declared the polio outbreak in the country as a National Public Health Emergency on February 17 2022.
Since then, it has been responding to the outbreak by implementing activities which are in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
These activities include door-to-door oral polio vaccination for all children under-five.
Two rounds of the mass polio vaccination campaigns have been conducted and more than 2.9 children were reached.
Meanwhile, WHO and Unicef new data shows global vaccination coverage continued to decline in 2021, with 25 million infants missing out on lifesaving vaccines.
In a statement made available to The Nation, Unicef executive director Catherine Russell has since called for immunisation catch-ups for the missing millions to avoid witnessing more outbreaks, more sick children and greater pressure on already strained health systems.
WHO and Unicef are working with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and other partners to deliver the global Immunisation Agenda 2030, a strategy for all countries and relevant global partners to achieve set goals on preventing diseases through immunisation and delivering vaccines to everyone, everywhere, at every age.
