Virologist cautions parents against hesitancy in allowing wards take polio vaccinations

A leading virologist, Prof. Oyewale Tomori has urged Nigerians especially parents and caregivers not to allow misinformation on polio vaccine deter them from allowing their wards get vaccinated, insisting that it is safe and efficacious.

Tomori, who is also the Chairman of the Board of Biovaccines Nigeria Limited (BVNL), said this in an interview on Tuesday  in Abuja, in commemoration of the 2023 World Polio Day.

World Polio Day is celebrated on Oct. 24 yearly to commemorate the birth of Jonas Salk who developed one of the effective vaccines against poliomyelitis. 

”I reassure Nigerians that the vaccine is safe and effective, having undergone rigorous testing and approval processes.

”I urge everyone to trust in the scientific evidence and not to be swayed by misinformation”, Tomori, a multiple-award-winning specialist in human, zoonotic and veterinary viruses including the poliomyelitis virus said.

He urged Nigerians not to let vaccine-preventable disease overshadow the progress made in eliminating polio and to continue working towards this crucial goal.

Tomori also stressed the importance of unity and collaboration in the mission to eradicate polio in the country.

“By working together, the nation can ensure that every child receives the appropriate drops of the polio vaccine, protecting them from this debilitating disease.

“Polio can have long-lasting effects on individuals and communities, hindering their development and progress. Polio disease permanently limits the potential of the affected, for life.

“By eradicating polio, Nigeria can create a healthier and more prosperous future for its citizens,” he said. 

 As the country battles the ongoing diphtheria and other infectious diseases, he highlighted the importance of maintaining focus on the eradication of polio. 

Nigeria was declared as having interrupted the transmission of wild poliovirus in 2020.

However, the circulating Variant Polio Virus2 (cVPV2) strain transmission continues. From children diagnosed with Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP), Nigeria reported eight cases of cVPV2 in 2020, and 480 in 2021.

Meanwhile, following improved immunization campaigns that reached previously unreached and inaccessible children, the number of cases dropped to 46 in 2022 and so far this year, only 26 cases has been reported.

Experts said that the country must continue the momentum to completely end the ravaging of our children by polio.

To further strengthen the fight against cVPV2, the Coordinator for the Polio Eradication Programme from the  WHO Regional Office for Africa, Dr Jamal Ahmed, said that work was still cut out for the country in the northwest zone which has persistently presented with breakthrough transmission of cVPV2 cases despite several rounds of novel Oral Polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2).