Bauchi State Government has so far administered about seven hundred and fifty thousand out of the one point five million doses of Cholera Oral Vaccines to people of the state.
The move is part of efforts by government to curtail the spread of the disease and its impact across the state.
Executive Chairman of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed stated this at the launching of the second phase of the exercise held at Bayan Fada PHC, in Bauchi Metropolis.
Dr. Mohammed said the first dose of the Cholera Oral vaccine when administered gives six months protection while the second dose provides protection for three years.
The State Coordinator, World Health Organization, Dr. Adamu Ibrahim said Bauchi is the only state in the federation to request, procure and receive one million and five hundred thousand doses of the vaccine.
Dr. Adamu Ibrahim who said the cholera vaccination exercise had yielded a positive impact as the number of reported cases dropped by sixty percent disclosed that the vaccine was donated by RCG through the World Health Organization, WHO.
The State Coordinator, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, Alhaji Bashir Maidabino represented by Aminu Na’iya commended the State for exhibiting a high sense of responsibility to protect its citizens against Cholera.
Alhaji Maidabino urged the people of the state to come out en mass and receive the oral vaccine as it was safe and effective to all ages except pregnant women.
The representative of Ward Head of Dan Iya, Ladan Shuaibu Ramat said as traditional leaders they would do all within their powers to improve the health status of their subjects.
Last month, the state government received a total of 1.5 million doses of cholera vaccine to be administered to 750,000 people against the outbreak of the disease.
However, the State Governor, Bala Mohammed decried apathy among the people towards the vaccine despite the outbreak that had claimed over 50 lives.
RN