Hamza Idris
2 March 2008
Damaturu — Following persistent resistance by parents to present their kids for routine immunization, four children have been hospitalized as a result of the outbreak of measles in Gabai Village in Gulani local government area of Yobe State.
Caretaker Chairman of Gulani, Mallam Yakubu Dokshi who spoke in Damaturu said for a long time now, parents in some villages "did not believe in the immunization against the child killer diseases which governments at all levels are trying to accomplish.
Dokshi, who reported the outbreak of the disease to the state government, attributed it to "the resistance of women in some villages to present their children for vaccination".
The chairman said three villages including Gabai, Garin Tuwo and Dokshi are prone to the diseases because "despite enlightenment and pleas, they have refused to agree to present their children for vaccination."
He said the state government has approved the release of N1.2 million for the immediate purchase of relevant vaccines to be distributed to hospitals in the local government in order to stem the spread of the diseases to other areas.
"Already, the four affected children have been cordoned in the hospital in Gabai. The drugs we would buy would be used to treat them and all the children in the affected villages", the chairman said adding that security operatives would be used to monitor the dispensing of the drugs.
Measles is an acute and highly contagious viral disease marked by distinct red spots followed by a rash which primarily occurs in children.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Daily Trust. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
