Cholera: UNICEF donates  one million doses of vaccines to Borno Govt

UNICEF has prevented one million doses of vaccines to the Borno State government in line with efforts to vaccinate residents against cholera.

Prof. Baba Mallam, the state’s Commissioner for Health and Human Services, disclosed this while receiving 669,569 doses of the vaccines in Maiduguri.

Represented by the Director of Disease Control and Immunisation in the Borno State Primary Healthcare Development Board, Fati Ali, Mallam explained that the initiative is timely, considering the potential outbreak of waterborne diseases following the recent floods in the state.

He added, “UNICEF is one of the partners supporting and collaborating with the state 100 per cent. We have received 669,569 doses of cholera vaccines.

“Earlier, we received more than 300,000 doses of cholera vaccines. We urge everyone to go to the nearest hospital facilities to collect the vaccination.”

UNICEF Chief of the Maiduguri Field Office, Dr. Gerida Birukila, encouraged residents to accept the oral vaccines, assuring them of their safety and lack of side effects.

According to Birukila, the new vaccines would be instrumental in reaching those at risk of contracting cholera, particularly people in crowded areas and children.