Govt establishes immunisation centres on highways

The Yobe Government has established special immunisation centres on inlets of the four federal highways leading to Damaturu to immunise children on transit.

Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu, the state Deputy Governor and Chairman State Committee on Polio Immunisation, announced this on Sunday in Damaturu while monitoring one of the centres at a check-point on Damaturu-Maiduguri highway.

According to him, the special centres are established to ensure that children on transit do not miss the routine immunisation exercise.

“As you are aware, there are reports of new polio cases in Borno, we have taken extra measures especially to ensure that children travelling from Borno and passing through the state were immunised.

“This is very necessary because we want to step up immunisation for Nigeria to be declared a polio free nation,’’ he said.

He advised parents to ensure that they presented their children and wards for immunisation.

Aliyu said that routine immunisation exercise had started in liberated communities in Gujba and Gulani local government areas of the state.

He also said that the state government was partnering with Dangote Foundation to rebuild health facilities in Gujba and Gulani local government areas destroyed by the Boko Haram insurgents.

Irrespective of this, most of parents who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said their children had never been immunised.