By Abongwa Fozo
The mass vaccination campaign against Polio targeting children zero to 5 years (0-59 months) kicks off across all health districts of the Northwest Region (NWR) today and will run up to Sunday April 27.
During a press briefing to announced the campaign on April 19, 2025, Dr. Cornelius Chebo, Regional Coordinator of the Expanded Program on Immunization – EPI said they campaign in the NWR targets to vaccinate some 340,000 children aged 0 to 59 months with the new Oral Polio Vaccine type 2 (nOPV2).
He added that the target is to “boost herd immunity amongst children and curb the spread of the circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2).
Despite the fact that Cameroon was declared polio free of the wild polio virus, Dr. Chebo said a different strain of polio virus, which is vaccine derived is circulating. Eight cases of the vaccine derived polio were detected in Cameroon making it already an epidemic he added.
It’s for this reason Cameroon and and it’s financial partners are launching this round of campaign which is synchronized with countries of the Lake Chad basin that includes Cameroon, Chad, Niger and the Central African Republic.
Mme Ngon Yvette Ndey, Chief of Communication for EPI, said polio virus has a devastating impact on children and communities. “Poliovirus leads to irreversible paralysis, rendering children permanently disabled.” She said adding that this goes beyond the child and family placing a burden on the entire community.
Dr. Cornelius Chebo appealed to parents and caregivers to ensure that their children within the target range take the vaccines even if they have been vaccinated during routine vaccinations at health facilities.
This round of vaccination will be carried out through the door-to-door approach by health personnels, in fixed vaccination centres at all health facilities, in semi fixed places like schools, churches, markets and and parks.
The vaccines will be administered through oral means (two drops of the vaccine in the mouth) and is free of charge.
