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More than 1,000 children in E.Manggarai receive polio vaccines
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For healthier children – A health official from the Waelengga community health center (Puskesmas) in Watunggene subdistrict, Kota Komba district, East Manggarai regency, Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, prepares a polio vaccine for a baby on the first day of national polio immunization week on Tuesday.
(thejakartapost.com/Markus Makur)
O
ver 1,000 children received polio vaccines at the Waelengga community health Center (Puskesmas) in Watunggene subdistrict, East Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara on the first day of national polio immunization week, which kicked off across the country on Tuesday.
A total of 1,837 children in the area are registered to get polio vaccines during immunization week, scheduled to run from March 8 until March 15.
“The polio immunization event ran smoothly in five targeted villages within Puskesmas Waelengga’s working area. It will be conducted until March 15,” Puskesmas Waelengga head Susana Agustina Utung told thejakartapost.com at the Kampung Kala Bumbu polio vaccination post on Tuesday.
Agustina said there was high enthusiasm among residents in regard to getting their children vaccinated at the 24 immunization posts. Puskesmas Waelengga has 120 vials of oral polio vaccines. One vial can be used for between one and seven children.
“We have adequate polio vaccine stocks for the program. We even have extra vaccines,” she said.
Health official Ferdinandus Lewi said the polio vaccines were delivered in anticipation of poliomyelitis, which could cause paralysis in children aged 0-59 months.
“There is no data on how many children are paralyzed in Puskesmas Waelengga’s working area,” he said.
Ferdinandus further said that polio vaccines would not be given to children aged 0-59 months with diarrhea or a fever.
The head of the immunization division at the East Manggarai Health Agency,Irenius Sena, said about 27,500 children aged 0-59 months would get polio vaccines during the immunization week in the regency. As many as 550 polio vaccination posts were readied for the program.
“Vaccination officers have been deployed to 23 community health centers, 74 village health posts and 14 village-based community maternity health clinics in nine districts to deliver polio vaccines during immunization week, starting from today until March 15,” said Irenius. (ebf)
