KUNAK: The Kunak Health Office targets 5,736 children aged below five years, who are citizens and non-citizens, for free polio immunisation between this January and March.
Communicable Disease Control medical officer here, Dr Izaidi Salman Yazid said the big-scale immunisation campaign was aimed at protecting children against polio in Sabah and Malaysia, in general.
“Up to yesterday, 25 per cent of the targeted figure had been given the vaccine since the first phase of the immunisation campaign started on Jan 22 and it will end on Feb 21.
“This will be followed by the second phase from Feb 22 until March 21 involving the same children who will receive another dose of the vaccine,” he said at a ceremony marking the Sabah polio immunisation campaign, here, today.
Dr Izaidi said parents who missed taking their children for polio immunisation today, could straight away take them to Kunak Hospital, Women and Children Health Clinic 1 and 2, Madai Rural Health Clinic and Lormalong Rural Health Clinic.
“Children usually who not exhibit symptoms for polio but it starts with fever, coughing and in more serious cases, could cause paralysis preceded by numbness of the legs and arms,” he said.
Meanwhile, state Assistant Minister of Health and People’s Wellbeing, Norazlinah Arif said the people should observe basic hygiene such as washing their hands.
“This is because polio could spread through food and drinks touched by dirty hands or through soiled toys,” she added.
She also reminded the residents of Kunak to keep their surroundings clean by not disposing garbage indiscriminately.
— BERNAMA
