POLIO VACCINATION CAMPAIGN IN JEDDAH TARGETS 215,000 CHILDREN
JEDDAH Prince Mishal Bin Majed Bin Abdul Aziz, Governor of Jeddah, on Saturday launched the first stage of the national vaccination campaign against poliomyelitis.
The campaign will target about 215,000 children across the Kingdom.
The second stage of the campaign will start on Feb. 28 and will last five days, according to Dr. Sami Badawood, Director of Health Affairs in Jeddah.
About 1,500 employees are involved in the campaign targeting children below the age of five, Badawood said, adding that primary health care teams will operate in all parts of the city from 4 P.M. to 8 P.M.
These teams will not only vaccinate children but will also give awareness lectures to families, he said. Authorities will also launch a drive against malaria and other infectious diseases soon, he said.
Our trained teams are going to knock at every door as we are targeting around 215,000 children. We hope all families will cooperate with the teams since the vaccine is administered orally and is only a drop in the mouth, which will not take more than few seconds, he said.
The campaign will cover all children from all nationalities, without regard as to whether they have a residency permit (Iqama) or not. SG
Jassim Alghamdi - Saudi Gazette
