11/11/2002

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As the National Immunisa-tion Days commenced on Saturday nationwide, the Minister of State for Health, Dr Amina Ndalolo, has assured the people of the safety of polio vaccines.

Ndalolo gave the assurance at the Katsina State Government House when she led a delegation of National Programme on Immunisation (NPI) officials on a courtesy visit to Governor Umaru Yar'adua.

"I, Amina Ndalolo, in the name of the Almighty God assure you that I will never bring anything to you that will harm our children," the minister said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the statement was prompted by recent allegations in some parts of the North that the vaccine contained HIV and was a contraceptive device.

Ndalolo explained that the vaccine in the country had been certified safe by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

She further explained that officials of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration (NAFDAC) were stationed at the entry point of the vaccine to take and analyse samples.

She said attention was focused on Katsina and Kano because of their strategic location as border states and the high transmission rates in the area.

The minister further explained that the reason for the synchronised vaccination in the states was because they shared border with Niger Republic and Chad.

"We will even go further to supply these countries with polio vaccines because if polio is eradicated in Nigeria and it is not in these countries, there is the possibility of re-importating the virus from these countries," she said.

Yar'adua, who was visibly moved by the commitment of the minister, assured her of the unflinching support of the state in the efforts to expunge polio from the country.

Meanwhile, the Sariki Maska of Funtua, Alhaji Iris Sambo, told journalists in his palace that the people had been co-operating with the administrators of the vaccination.

"We are expecting the largest turn out this time around.

We hope to achieve 99 per cent if not 100 per cent coverage this time around," the traditional ruler said, adding that the people have been fully mobilised.

NAN reports that residents of Kasuwa Mafa settlement in Funtua, where journalists monitored the exercise, said they had been fully informed about it.

Hajia Indo Shehu, a resident of the area, told NAN that she had been involved in the exercise and that she heard about the last exercise from radio and mobilisation officers.

NAN also reports that two of her children were vaccinated on Saturday.

Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media. (allafrica.com)

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