By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Enugu State Government has extended its yellow fever vaccination to three Local Government Areas and targeting additional 710,149 residents.

The Executive Secretary of Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ENS-PHCDA), Dr George Ugwu, disclosed this to newsmen in Enugu at the weekend.

Ugwu said that the new council areas being covered included; Uzo Uwani, Nkanu East and Enugu East.

The ENS-PHCDA Executive Secretary said that the vaccination in these three council areas had already begun for 10 days; thus, running from January 9 to January 18.

He urged residents within the council areas between the ages of nine months and 44 years to visit Primary Healthcare Centres, other health facilities and special designated places to get vaccinated free-of-charge.

According to him, so far, we have covered nine council areas and hope that it would soon extend to all council areas in the state to ensure our people are well-protected from the disease.

“To really stamp out yellow fever and see that it do not re-cur in the state; we discussed and got approval from our partners, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, WHO, UNICEF as well as other international and local partners.

“With their approval and guide, we have started continued massive reactive yellow fever vaccination in three council areas in the state.

“We have so far covered nine council areas, where every eligible person that presented themselves at our vaccinating centres has been vaccinated against yellow fever.

“Apart from the new three council areas; we have done five days catch-up (mop-up) for the initial six council areas covered and enhanced public enlightenment on the benefit and need of the vaccines in order to ensure no single person was left out.

“We believe that it will not be long, as we envisage that the entire state will be vaccinated against yellow fever,” he said.

Ugwu said that for the nine council areas, “we have a total target of 2,320,516 residents of the state for the nine council areas.”

He said: “For the six council areas already covered; we have; 210, 517 residents of Udenu council area vaccinated representing 92 per cent of the target for the council area.

“247,474 residents, representing 92 per cent of the target population in Igbo-Etiti; and 181,520 residents, representing 96 per cent of the target population of Igboeze South council area.

“320,036 residents, representing 96 per cent of the target population in Igboeze North; 147,945 resident, representing 78 per cent of the target population in Isi-Uzo and 310,660 residents, representing 78 per cent of the target population in Nsukka.”

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