Low polio turnout worries health officials

PEOPLE who received polio drops in the first round of the mass vaccination campaign but do not get a follow-up vaccination have only a 50 per cent chance of fighting off the disease, Health Permanent Secretary Dr Kalumbi Shangula said yesterday.

“We encourage people to go for the second round. Round one will only give protection of 50 per cent to 60 per cent.That is why we are giving the booster, which will offer complete protection,” Shangula said.His remarks came amid a remarkably low turnout of people nationally to receive the two drops of Monovalent Type One Oral Poliomyelitis (mOPV) vaccine yesterday.”It is very important that we should not be complacent,” Shangula said.The second round will run until tomorrow and Government wants to vaccinate at least 95 per cent of everyone in the country.Visits by The Namibian to various polio vaccination points in the city indicated a low turnout compared to the long queues that characterised the first round.Yet, officials of the Ministry of Health and volunteers did not sit back.Many teams were found in the dusty streets of Katutura’s suburbs, administering the vaccine to passers-by.They stopped at some shebeens and houses and people were streaming to get the drops.”We must get to them if they do not turn up at the designated points.It is important that everyone is vaccinated,” said one of the volunteers, Natasha Shikale.Even places known to pull big crowds, such as the Nathaniel Maxuilili Centre in Okuryangava, had remarkably short queues.Dr Shangula said health officials would evaluate the first day’s turnout early this morning.”It is still early days, but we want to urge everyone to get vaccinated,” he said.The third round is only for children under the age of five and will be held from August 20 to 24.World Health Organisation Country Representative Dr Custodia Mandlhate also emphasised that the success of the whole campaign would be determined by people’s response during the second round.”We need to reach everybody,” she emphasised.Round one will only give protection of 50 per cent to 60 per cent.That is why we are giving the booster, which will offer complete protection,” Shangula said.His remarks came amid a remarkably low turnout of people nationally to receive the two drops of Monovalent Type One Oral Poliomyelitis (mOPV) vaccine yesterday.”It is very important that we should not be complacent,” Shangula said.The second round will run until tomorrow and Government wants to vaccinate at least 95 per cent of everyone in the country.Visits by The Namibian to various polio vaccination points in the city indicated a low turnout compared to the long queues that characterised the first round.Yet, officials of the Ministry of Health and volunteers did not sit back.Many teams were found in the dusty streets of Katutura’s suburbs, administering the vaccine to passers-by.They stopped at some shebeens and houses and people were streaming to get the drops.”We must get to them if they do not turn up at the designated points.It is important that everyone is vaccinated,” said one of the volunteers, Natasha Shikale.Even places known to pull big crowds, such as the Nathaniel Maxuilili Centre in Okuryangava, had remarkably short queues.Dr Shangula said health officials would evaluate the first day’s turnout early this morning.”It is still early days, but we want to urge everyone to get vaccinated,” he said.The third round is only for children under the age of five and will be held from August 20 to 24.World Health Organisation Country Representative Dr Custodia Mandlhate also emphasised that the success of the whole campaign would be determined by people’s response during the second round.”We need to reach everybody,” she emphasised.