From: Ruth Yarnap, Bauchi
Bauchi state Governor, Bala Mohammed has appealed to the people of the state to get vaccinated against cholera .
Governor Bala said this during the flag-off of cholera vaccination ceremony at the old banquet hall of the government house, Bauchi where he took a drop of oral vaccine along side his wife, stressing that the vaccine is safe and free.
He revealed the federal government has donated 1.5 million doses of the vaccine to the state government which would be administered to 750, 000 people in two doses each in the state.
According to him, “since the outbreak of cholera, I directed that all the victims should be treated free of charge as the government will provide all that is needed for such treatment”.
The Governor also directed the state’s Primary Healthcare Development Agency to make special funds available to all the volunteers across the state.
He also thanked the development partners for their prompt response to the call for action against the outbreak
The Executive Chairman of the agency, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, in his address, said the vaccine have been split into first and second doses with two weeks interval and will be administered in Health Facilities and the palace of ward heads in the affected areas.
He said many people have rejected the vaccines despite the enlightenment campaign on the importance of the vaccination.
According him, the Agency has intensified community vigilance, chlorination of wells and disinfection of affected communities.
Dr Rilwanu then called on traditional and religious leaders to talk to their subjects on the need to get vaccinated against the disease.
