ORAL POLIO VACCINATION CAMPAIGN

The Ministry of Health wishes to inform the public that it will conduct two rounds of national house-to-house polio vaccination campaign in all districts in Botswana.

The campaign will be targeting all children aged 7 years and below from the 23rd to 26th February 2023 in all districts across the country. The second round of the campaign will take place from the 30th March 2023 to 2nd April 2023.

This is a public health response to the circulating Vaccine Derived Poliovirus Type 2 (cVDPV2) that was detected in the country through environmental surveillance, as has been previously reported. The vaccination campaign will help prevent the spread of this virus to vulnerable children since unvaccinated children are at high risk of polio infection.

Vaccinators carrying name tags bearing the Ministry of Health logo will be moving from house to house and other places where children are likely to gather, to administer the oral polio vaccine to all eligible children.

The ministry encourages all parents and caregivers to ensure that all children in this age group are vaccinated.

For more information, please contact the nearest health facility or call 363 2500.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully

Dr Christopher Nyanga
For Permanent Secretary