Children under five receives free polio vaccine in sipili.

By David Kiarie

Over 3,700 children under the age of five years from Sipili division in Laikipia West district have been immunized against polio in the ongoing national campaign against the disease.

This represents 92 per cent of the targeted population of 4,063 children from Dimcom, Kaharati, Kiriko and Kabati sub locations in Sipili division.

The polio campaign supervisor from the division David Muriithi said the turnout was great during the first round of the exercise from November 11^th to 13^th adding that they would have hit the 100 percent mark, were it not for the heavy rains that pounded the vast area making the roads impassable.

Muriithi said they would be carrying out a second round of the immunization exercise during the second week of December where they will target all the children under the age of five years whether they were immunized in the first round or not.

“I am calling on parents and guardians to avail their children for the vaccination in order to protect them against this serious disease,” Muriithi appealed.

He said the parents and guardians were receptive during the first round of the exercise but disclosed that one parent within Sipili township refused to have his children immunized on religious grounds adding that they would report the parent to the provincial administration to take the necessary action.

“It is an offence to deny children medication. They are minors who depend on their parents for any decisions and denying them the right to health care is punishable by law,” Muriithi warned adding that Polio is a serious communicable disease that should be fought thoroughly and eradicated.

The national campaign against the disease was triggered by one polio case in Rongo of Nyanza province a few months ago.  According to World Health Organization (WHO), one case of polio is an outbreak.

The disease, which had almost been eradicated from the country, is believed to have spread into the country from Uganda.  Kenya unlike most of her neighboring countries has managed to keep the disease at bay through routine and free vaccinations at all public health facilities.