ENB EXCEEDED 95 % POLIO VACCINATION TARGETS, REACHING OVER 100,000 CHILDREN

PICTURE CAPTION: Health worker during the Polio vaccination rollout program.

BY WASITA ROYAL, in Kokopo

EAST New Britain Province is being celebrated as a national leader following a highly successful polio vaccination campaign.

New data has confirmed that the province has not only met but exceeded targets, topping the country’s immunization drive.

Last October, health teams across East New Britain immunized 123,250 children; all between the ages of 3 months and 10 years, surpassing the crucial 95% coverage target.

This was achieved despite the province having no recent reported polio cases, which required only one intensive round of vaccinations.

The effort mobilized over 700 health workers across 32 facilities.

Gerarda Vinia, the campaign’s Team Leader and Family Health Manager, stated their goal was to reach every child who was unimmunized or under-immunized.

She acknowledged significant challenges, including vaccine hesitancy in some communities and private schools, which required extra social mobilization efforts, as well as staff shortages in some areas were solved by shifting personnel and resources.

Health authorities are now holding up East New Britain’s campaign as a national benchmark, demonstrating what’s possible with careful planning and execution.

Officials say this top-ranking result is evident in the result of these hundreds of health workers and is also a reminder that overcoming reluctance and logistical gaps is the key, and that protecting children from preventable diseases remains an ongoing mission.