First round of polio vaccination campaign completed

The first round of a national polio immunisation, held in Senegal on 5 and 6 November, was a “success” WHO Expanded Programme for Immunisation officer Dr. Salla, told IRIN. The vaccination campaign was carried out by the Ministry of Health, with the assistance of WHO, UNICEF, USAID, CIDA, Rotary International and the Center for Disease Control, he added. A high average rate of coverage was achieved nationwide according to Salla. However, in Ziguinchor, where the separatist Mouvement des forces democratiques de Casamance (MFDC) is based, coverage was “lower than the national average,” he said. The official daily, ‘Le Soleil’, attributes this to security constraints. The second round of the polio immunisation campaign is scheduled for 3-4 December.