The government of Sokoto state has announced an initiative to ramp up vaccination efforts against polio and other preventable diseases within six local government areas lying along the border with Niger Republic. This move is part of a broader strategy to minimize the risk of cross-border transmission of the poliovirus.
During an interview with PREMIUM TIMES, State Immunisation Officer (SIO) Bashar Garba shared details of the plan, which emphasizes reinforcing routine immunization and reaching out to children who move between Nigeria and Niger Republic.
Garba highlighted that the initiative is supported by the Solina Centre for International Development and Research (SCIDaR), and aims to deploy dedicated teams in the targeted LGAs to prevent any child from entering or exiting Nigeria without proper vaccination against the poliovirus. “We will be carrying routine immunisation vaccines, including polio, to ensure every child residing in these border regions is adequately protected,” he stated.
He reiterated that any child crossing the border would receive vaccination to prevent the spread of the virus in both directions. This is especially critical as the state has already intensified its routine immunisation efforts since late 2025 and is working to enhance them further this year.
In addition, Garba indicated that the state is prepared to launch a comprehensive polio campaign that is inclusive and effective for all eligible children. “Our focus for 2026, according to the Ministry of Health and the primary health care services, is to significantly enhance our routine vaccination coverage and disrupt the circulation of the vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2),” he noted.
Looking ahead, the strategy for this year involves identifying eligible children for vaccination and ensuring that their immunization records are meticulously documented and monitored through assigned tracking numbers. Enumeration exercises are set to commence on Saturday, February 14, lasting for six days.
Following this enumeration, vaccination activities are scheduled to start in March. “On March 7, during Ramadan, when many children are typically home, we’ll initiate the vaccination effort,” he added.
Additionally, Garba disclosed plans to enhance routine immunization by administering injectable Inactivated Polio Vaccines (IPV) every quarter or semi-annually, emphasizing the IPV as a robust vaccine capable of providing protection against various strains of the poliovirus. “Implementing the IPV requires significant resources, hence we aim for at least one annual campaign,” he explained.
Sokoto is currently grappling with the resurgence of cVDPV2, a variant of the poliovirus that has emerged from the live-attenuated virus used in the oral poliovirus vaccine. This strain has resulted in more paralysis cases among under-immunised populations since 2017, surpassing the number of cases attributed to wild poliovirus. Although Nigeria was declared free of wild polio in 2020, outbreaks of vaccine-derived poliovirus persist, particularly in Sokoto, due to factors like low routine immunisation rates, population movement, and vaccine hesitancy.
In 2022, Sokoto reported 20 cases of cVDPV2, highlighting the urgent need for these enhanced vaccination efforts.
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