Awerial County cattle keepers urged to vaccinate children before moving

The Awerial cattle keepers have been urged to let their children receive polio vaccine before they migrate to distant grazing areas.

The County Coordinator for the Integrated Community Mobilization Network (ICMN), John Mauei Dut, told Radio Tamazuj on Thursday that the herders should allow their children to benefit from the ongoing vaccination before migrating.

Dut said the herders moved to the Toch wetlands around this time and that they may stop the children from accessing health services, hence posing risks of polio infections. 

He stressed the significance of protecting children from polio at a young age.

“The polio vaccination campaign that kicked off on Monday this week is targeting 21,093 from five years and below,” he said.

He said that the campaign would take only four days, urging the community and church leaders and the cattle camp leaders to collaborate to have the whole county covered.

“We always tell our people and especially those on the move such as the cattle keepers that whenever they hear of an immunization, they should migrate closer and wait for their children to get the jab to protect them from the communicable diseases,” he said.

“The health of your children is in your hands,” he added.