WESTERN PROVINCE

RUBAVU — The second phase of immunisation against polio in Rubavu district will take place on December 18 to 19, an official announced.

"Last month, we carried out mass immunisation of children against polio including the newly born babies and all those below five years….. We think this is the best way to protect infants from the disease,” said Eraste Rwagitare, the Rubavu district health supervisor.

He was responding to fears among area residents on the continuous reports of increasing infection of Poliomyelitis disease, often called polio, in the neighbouring DR Congo town of Goma.

Health officials in Rubavu have previously warned that the disease could spill over if left unchecked.

Rwagitare, noted that serious measures have to be taken to prevent the spread of polio.

"You all know that our people are always in contact with our neighbours, we have children schooling in Goma, people cross the border everyday to that town for business, that puts children who are not immunised in this region at risk,” he said.

Health officials define polio as an acute viral infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via faecal matter.

Rwagitare noted that although around 90% of polio infections cause no symptoms at all, infected individuals can exhibit a range of symptoms once the virus enters the blood stream.

"In some cases, polio virus enters the central nervous system, infecting and destroying motor neurons, leading to muscle weakness and acute flaccid paralysis,” he explained.

He however, said that Gisenyi Hospital was doing everything possible to have all children below 5 year of age get immunised against the disease.

He said the polio vaccine was administered in two doses and called upon parents whose children received the first dosage on November 18 and 19, to take their children back during the second phase to complete the dosage.

"We are glad 80% of the parents brought their children for the first dose, I call upon those who haven’t come to do so to ensure that 100% of our children are immunised against polio,” he said.

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