Second polio immunisation round held

UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy travelled to Lubumbashi, Katanga province, on Friday to help launch the second round of a national polio immunisation campaign. A UNICEF official told IRIN on Monday that Bellamy had administered polio vaccines and vitamin A drops to the first of about 10 million children expected to be immunised during the three-day campaign. The official said some 1.5 million children could not be vaccinated during the campaign's first round in August, partly due to conflict in eastern DRC, the official said. A third round, which will also include vaccination against measles, is scheduled to be held in late October.