Bauchi State Government has rejected media reports circulating in Nigerian media that cases of wild Poliovirus resurfaced in the state after Nigeria bravely fought the monster to attain ‘polio-free status.’
Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, Executive-Chairman Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Agency stated this in Bauchi while interacting with reporters in his office.
He said the reports are misinformation and misrepresentation about the polio-free status which Nigeria crave so hard for many years.
“As part of the post-polio-free certification activities, Bauchi State was able to detect 38 cases of Circulating Vaccine-Derived polioviruses out of the 315 samples collected from January to December 2021.
“As part of the Post-Polio Free Certification Activities, the World Health Organization has directed every Country to intensify surveillance activities, strengthen routine immunization for children and continuous public health education.
“The surveillance activities require the collection of samples from children with cases of Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) and from the environment at some designated sites.
“The circulating vaccine-derived Polio Viruses which are presently referred to as the circulating Mutant Polio Viruses (cMPV) normally results from a mutation (change of form/characteristics) of the attenuated polioviruses used in the manufacturing of the Polio Vaccines,” he said.
He said that that was why he kept stressing during his speech at the flag-off of OBR 1 campaign last Saturday that “It is not WPV but cMPV that is detected in the state”.
The Executive-Chairman maintained that there is no case of polio in Bauchi State that can cause paralysis.
Dr Rilwanu Mohammed called on media outlets in Nigeria to verify reports before going to press.
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