In March, it is time for the “first round” of the NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION AGAINST POLIOMYELITIS. For quite a few years now Ghana has joined with other African countries in cooperation with the W.H.O. and its international partners to aggressively eradicate poliomyelitis from the African continent. We not only administer the regular, routine immunizations given to all children under five years of age at our clinic, but the oral polio vaccine is given out to all children under five in a massive, nation wide campaign during March and April each year. The procedure is shared below.
Though Samuel Seidu Memorial Clinic is a mission outreach and not a government facility, we have always cooperated and participated in the campaigns each year.
Usually, some of the vaccine is stored in our solar vaccine refrigerator. The “foot soldiers” of these campaigns are village volunteers who walk or ride bikes or go with motorbikes to each and every house in every village and drop the polio vaccine into the mouths of waiting children.
The volunteers would congregate at the clinic in the early morning hours to receive their portable vaccine carrier, get their supplies—genetian violet paint to mark the finger of each children receiving the vaccine; chalk to mark the homes visited; and tally sheets. The community health nurses and at least one of my nursing assistants would act as the supervisors. They would move by motor bike around their assigned areas checking on the volunteers and bring more supplies where needed.
The approach of going “door to door” to capture each and every child in the community seems very effective. One of these times, I need to put a pedometer around the waist of a village volunteer and see how many miles they travel in one day of the campaign. They always seem enthusiastic and tireless! Here are some pictures of the campaign from last year.
Volunteers, having received their vaccines, prepare to leave for their village assignments.
The portable vaccine carrier: four frozen ice packs inside the box keep vaccine vials cold all day