As Nigeria were nearly celebrating a polio-free nation, Type 2 Dry Polio Virus hits Toto LGA of Nasarawa State, this is as over 200,000 girls between the ages of nine and 14 years have been vaccinated against cervical cancer across the 13 LGAs of the state.
The disclosure was made by the immunisation officer, Nasarawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Abubakar Halilu-Awe, who stated this during an expanded Review meeting on the progress of HPV vaccine in Lafia, he described Nigeria as one of the countries with the highest cervical cancer cases in the world, with over 8,000 women dying yearly from the disease.
Halilu-Awe recommended that there is need for the introduction of the Human Papilloma Virus, HPV, vaccine and it’s reutilization into the main routine immunisation schedule of the state.
He said, “We have immunised over 200,000 girls between the ages of nine to 14 years against cervical cancer across the 13 local government areas of Nasarawa State”.
According to the health officer, with the Reutilization of the HPV vaccine into the state routine immunisation schedule, progress has been recorded with many girls been vaccinated against cervical cancer.
In the meantime, arrangements have been made as response mechanism in case of an outbreak of the Dry Polio Virus type 2 in Toto LGA of the state.
“The state primary healthcare development agency has concluded arrangements for Response to Outbreak of circulating Dry Poliovirus type 2 in Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State” Awe concluded.
