The Kwara State government is set to immunise over one million children under the age of five during the next round of Immunisation Plus Days, scheduled to take place from April 26 to 29, 2025.
The campaign is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen children’s immunity and protect them against poliomyelitis (polio), a highly contagious viral disease that primarily affects young children.
The immunisation exercise will be carried out across all 16 local government areas of the state, according to reports.
Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KWSPHCDA), Dr. Nusirat Elelu, explained that while Nigeria remains free of the wild polio virus, the threat of reintroduction still exists due to outbreaks in other countries and the presence of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus.
She noted that Kwara State will participate in the April immunisation round alongside other states, as scheduled by the National Polio Emergency Operation Centre. All children aged 0 to 5 years are eligible for vaccination, regardless of their previous immunisation status. Elelu reassured the public that the polio vaccine is safe, effective, and cannot be overdosed.
She called on parents, caregivers, religious leaders, schools, and faith-based institutions to support the campaign by ensuring eligible children are available for vaccination. Immunisation teams will be visiting homes, markets, religious centres, and schools throughout the state during the campaign period.
