Why are there so many rounds of National Immunization Days in Nigeria?
• Multiple rounds are necessary to eradicate polio, every child under 5 years must receive the polio vaccine multiple times, regardless of previous immunization status. • The strategy is to immunize children who are either not immunized, or only partially protected (ie who have not received sufficient doses of OPV), as well as to boost immunity levels in those children who have already been immunized. • It is important to note that these strategies only work if each and every child is immunized during each and every immunization campaign. It is the only way to stop the transmission and circulation of wild poliovirus, and to eradicate the disease once and for all.
