BIG CATCH UP IMMUNIZATION: ENUGU STATE GOVT HAILS UNICEF, OTHER DONOR AGENCIES

REPORTER: EMEFIENA OKONKWO

Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency, has commended United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF, and other donor agencies in the state for their support to carry out successful Big Catch up Immunization exercises in five local government areas in the state. 

The five local government that actually benefitted for the Big Catch up immunization includes Enugu North, Isiuzo, Nsukka, Udi and Uzouwani Local Governments Areas.

The Enugu State Immunization Officer, Dr. Chinyere Chime, who Works with the Enugu State Primary Health Development Agency, told the media that the reason for the Big catch up immunization was to cover up with some children missed out in some antigens or some vaccines that they were supposed to have taken but did not as a result of some challenges.

According to Dr. Chime, “during the COVID 19, pandemic that is between 2020 to 2021, with the States in the country and countries all over the world under lock down, immunization was significantly impacted as so many children missed out some antigens or some vaccines that they were supposed to take.

She said based on that information, the federal government, working with development partners like UNICEF, decided to embark on immunization to make up for those antigens or vaccines that were missed.

According to the Immunisation Officer, “survey was carried out and Local Government Areas most affected were mapped out, hence the Big catch up, meaning that we are looking out for these children that missed out some antigens that they were due for, as well as the zero dose children.”

The zero dose children, she explained, were the children that had not taken any kind of vaccine since they were born and she confirmed that there were a good number of them in the communities.

She said the first batch of the execisce started on the 7th of January, 2025 and ended on the 16th of January.

Dr. Chime himted that Cumulatively they would be targeting 100,000 children,

EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU

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