DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL HEALTH MEDIA RELEASE 26 September 2006 NATIONAL POLIO IMMUNISATION CAMPAIGN FOR ALL CHILDREN UNDER 5 YEARS OF AGE FROM 8-14 OCTOBER 2006 Nationwide from the 8th to 14th of October 2006, all children form 0 to 5 years of age would be immunized against polio. The Department of Health would therefore like to use this opportunity to urge parents, guardians, caregivers and the general public to take all children under 5 years of age to their nearest immunisation points for polio immunisation, irrespective of their immunisation status. Polio is an infectious disease that causes sudden floppy paralysis/lameness of a limb or limbs. If a person with polio is not given treatment, death may occur if respiratory muscles of the chest are affected. South Africa has been free of wild poliovirus for over 15 years. This year our neighbour Namibia experienced an outbreak of Polio after being Polio-free for more than ten years. This puts us on high alert because as long as there is a case of wild poliovirus in any part of the world, all unimmunised people are at high risk. We learned from Namibia that the poliovirus does not respect boundaries. The National polio mass immunisation campaign is conducted to give additional polio drops to as many children as possible, at the SAME TIME. This prevents the wild poliovirus from circulating among unprotected children. Children under 5 years of age are targeted because they are most vulnerable. During the immunisation campaign special efforts will be made to bring immunisation posts as close to communities as possible. Immunisation teams comprised of health care workers will visit day care centers, crèches and pre-schools during the campaign. Polio eradication is a global effort, which requires all countries, big and small, to focus their efforts to attain this goal by the year 2008. We need commitment from the public and private health sectors, the media and communities. It was through immunisation that smallpox (one of the most disfiguring diseases) was eradicated. The whole world is now free from smallpox. In the same way. polio immunisation will set the world free of polio. No treatment exists to cure paralysis caused by wild poliovirus. A deformity caused by polio is present lifelong. Therefore, it is important to prevent through immunisation with oral polio drops. Parents and caregivers should make sure that children receive polio drops at the correct ages and are fully immunized against polio. The public is again urged to take all children with sudden onset of a floppy paralysis in one or more limbs to the nearest health facility for investigation and treatment. Immunisations for childhood vaccine preventable diseases are available free of charge at public health clinics. For more information please contact your nearest health facility. ENDS Issued by: The National Department of Health Sub directorate: EPI Enquiries: 012 312 3174/0099/0111