A child receiving polio vaccine in Malawi
Authorities at the Blantyre District Health Office have confirmed that a new Polio case has been registered in the district.
In an interview with Malawi24, Blantyre DHO Senior Health Promotions Officer Chrissy Banda, said the case has been confirmed in a 14-year-old girl from Ndirande.
Banda further reported that in December last year, health officials took samples on the girl which were sent to Lilongwe for further examination until this week when the results came out positive.
While encouraging parents to appropriately vaccinate their children, Banda urged the Blantyre residents not to panic saying the Blantyre District Health Office managed to reach to many children through the last year’s polio vaccination campaigns.
“It is very true that Blantyre has registered a polio case. This is a 14-year-old girl from Ndirande whose samples were collected in December last year and were sent to Lilongwe and this week authorities from Lilongwe has confirmed that the results came out positive.
“So, we are encouraging parents to appropriately vaccinate their children. A one year old child is supposed to get polio vaccine four times and we are pleading with parents to always do this. Apart from the usual vaccines that are offered at under five clinics, we might again this year carry out another polio campaign, so let them avail their children during that time as well,” said Banda.
In February last year, health authorities in Malawi declared an outbreak of wild poliovirus type 1 after a case was confirmed in a 3-year-old girl in the capital, Lilongwe, 30 years after the country registered last polio case in 1992.
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