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Rejoice Makoni

Herald Correspondent

Parents have heeded the call from the Ministry of Health and Child Care to vaccinate their children under the age of five against polio so Zimbabwe can remain free of the disease which has resurfaced in Malawi and Mozambique.

The third round of the new polio vaccination targeting all children below the age of five began on Tuesday.

The present campaign was lauched last year in October following the small outbreaks in Mozambique and Malawi of an Asian strain of polio, a disease now largely eliminated from Africa.

Mrs Rudo Chawanetera of Eastview phase 21 in Harare hailed the door to door campaign.

“My child was vaccinated at our house and I was happy as that saves us time.’’

Another woman Ms Chatiza understood the benefits of getting her children vaccinated through campaigns done by the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

“I came with my children to get vaccinated because I heard that there was an outbreak of polio in Malawi recently so I want to protect my children,” said Ms Chatiza.

Polio is a viral disease that in its most severe form causes nerve injury, leading to paralysis and difficulty in breathing.

The director of communications in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Mr Donald Mujiri urged mothers to get their children vaccinated.

“Health care teams are visiting homes around Zimbabwe from the 23rd to the 26th vaccinating children and will be identifiable with their branded uniforms,” he said. “All health centres will also be giving polio vaccines to children.”

The vaccination campaign is part of a regional strategy to prevent the resurgence of polio following the outbreaks in Mozambique and Malawi.

Zimbabwe reported its last case of polio in 1989 and was declared polio free in 2005 by the World Health Organisation.

Polio can be prevented by administering the Oral Poliovirus vaccine which is used throughout the world.