Second polio immunisation round ends

A second polio immunisation round targeting children under five years has ended in eight districts in the north and east of Sierra Leone, Alhassan Seisay, coordinator of the national Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) at the Ministry of Health, said on Wednesday.

At least 658,000 children were targeted in the 6-8 April round, Seisay told IRIN. However, it was expected that the actual figure could be higher due to an influx of people who fled fighting between rebels and government troops in neighbouring Liberia.

"Because of the problems in Liberia there were lots of children coming in and so we expect more in the second round," he said. Official figures, he added, would be available next week.

In the first round, which took place 2-4 March, some 647,931 children were vaccinated, a coverage of almost 98 percent. Vitamin A, that helps help prevent night-blindness, measles, diarrhoea and chest infections, was also administered, he said.

The programme covered districts that had become newly accessible following the end of hostilities between the Revolutionary United Front and the Government of Sierra Leone, namely Bombali, Kambia, Koinadugu, Port Loko and Tonkolili in the north and Kailahun, Kenema and Kono in the east of the country.

Key partners in the programme were the World Health Organisation, the UN Children's Fund and Rotary International, while secondary partners included NGOs, Seisay said.