Polio: It should have dissapeared by now!!!
I have seen only two cases of polio, one as a medical student and one last month. Going by all the effort that has been put into its eradication, I should not have ever seen a single case of Polio, I should just have read about it like I read about the eradication of small pox, a deadly killer that has been wiped off the surface of the earth (thank God), maybe if Polio was as deadly as smallpox the same might hold true for its eradication efforts!
I saw my second case of polio while I was on one of my many trips round this great country of ours a few weeks ago. Its sad to note that despite the many campaigns, advertisements on every conceivable news medium, announcements in places of worship, market places, announcements by village heads, heads of families, there are many people who believe strange things about vaccination.
This child was brought by both parents to a health clinic in a rural area complaining that she could not walk for one day. She had been treated two weeks before on account of gastroenteritis so her parents at first thought it was a new symptom of her earlier illness. They decided to bring her in when she was not getting better.
When asked if the child had been immunized, both parents started giving excuses. The father claimed he was not around during the vaccination campaigns. The mother who was present with the child also gave the fathers absence as a reason the child was not vaccinated. When the father was asked if he had given permission to his wife to allow their children to be immunised he replied that he hadn't.
The health worker who was in charge of the health facility identified both parents as members of a particular religious sect that had refused to allow their children to be immunised. I have no problem with adults who refuse to be immunised, the problem I have is with adults who make decisions which harm their children.
Because the parents of this 2year old decided not to immunise their daughter, she might end up without the use of both her lower limbs. Instead of being able to run around and play with careless abandon she would be confined to life in a wheelchair if they can afford one or she would be left to crawl around in an undignified manner becoming the butt of cruel jokes by other kids her age and even adults!
I still remember a child in primary school who I was so scared of. He had polio and was confined to a wheelchair, he was very pleasant but it took a long time for me not to run away when I saw his wheels approach my direction, I'm sure he was hurt every time I did that and I cringe when I think of what I did then! I imagine the loss of the use of ones legs is a harrowing experience.
If to avoid contracting polio all that is needed is to have two to three drops of the Oral Polio Vaccine(OPV) it is not too big a price to pay. OPV does not cause infertility, death or any other such thing, it is very irresponsible of parents who were probably immunised to deny their children the fundamental right to a bright future. Please pass the message on: Polio can be eradicated if only we do the right thing, immunise your children today!
I saw my second case of polio while I was on one of my many trips round this great country of ours a few weeks ago. Its sad to note that despite the many campaigns, advertisements on every conceivable news medium, announcements in places of worship, market places, announcements by village heads, heads of families, there are many people who believe strange things about vaccination.
This child was brought by both parents to a health clinic in a rural area complaining that she could not walk for one day. She had been treated two weeks before on account of gastroenteritis so her parents at first thought it was a new symptom of her earlier illness. They decided to bring her in when she was not getting better.
When asked if the child had been immunized, both parents started giving excuses. The father claimed he was not around during the vaccination campaigns. The mother who was present with the child also gave the fathers absence as a reason the child was not vaccinated. When the father was asked if he had given permission to his wife to allow their children to be immunised he replied that he hadn't.
The health worker who was in charge of the health facility identified both parents as members of a particular religious sect that had refused to allow their children to be immunised. I have no problem with adults who refuse to be immunised, the problem I have is with adults who make decisions which harm their children.
Because the parents of this 2year old decided not to immunise their daughter, she might end up without the use of both her lower limbs. Instead of being able to run around and play with careless abandon she would be confined to life in a wheelchair if they can afford one or she would be left to crawl around in an undignified manner becoming the butt of cruel jokes by other kids her age and even adults!
I still remember a child in primary school who I was so scared of. He had polio and was confined to a wheelchair, he was very pleasant but it took a long time for me not to run away when I saw his wheels approach my direction, I'm sure he was hurt every time I did that and I cringe when I think of what I did then! I imagine the loss of the use of ones legs is a harrowing experience.
If to avoid contracting polio all that is needed is to have two to three drops of the Oral Polio Vaccine(OPV) it is not too big a price to pay. OPV does not cause infertility, death or any other such thing, it is very irresponsible of parents who were probably immunised to deny their children the fundamental right to a bright future. Please pass the message on: Polio can be eradicated if only we do the right thing, immunise your children today!
Madam Likita! this might be my most sarcastic comment ever! but the guys who refuse to immunize their kids will probably never ever read this blog. Number 1, they cant read! Number 2 , they are located in places without Internet coverage. Mass, compulsory education of children in the Northe is needed. As long as they remain the most disadvantaged with regards to education, I'm sorry my belief is this country will be perpetually drawn back to times we should only hear about by them!
ReplyDeleteGood luck as you pass the message across!