Nigeria to Vaccinate 1M Children Against Polio in March

Health workers across Nigeria's Nasarawa State are preparing to reach every corner of their region with a simple mission: protect over one million children from a disease that can cause lifelong paralysis.

The four-day polio vaccination campaign launches March 28, 2026, bringing trained health teams directly to families' doorsteps. Working with UNICEF, the Nasarawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency will cover all 13 local government areas simultaneously to ensure no child gets left behind.

The urgency is real. Two polio cases appeared in the state in October and November 2025, reminding everyone that the highly infectious virus still circulates in communities with low vaccination rates.

Dr. Bosede Ezekwe, the World Health Organization State Coordinator, explained at a media dialogue in Lafia that polio spreads easily through contaminated food, water, or unwashed hands. Infected people can carry and spread the virus for weeks without showing any symptoms, making it especially dangerous in areas with poor sanitation.

The good news? Protection is simple and proven. Two drops of oral polio vaccine, safely used worldwide for decades, can shield children from this devastating disease.

The campaign targets all children aged 0 to 59 months, whether they've been vaccinated before or not. Health workers will visit homes and set up community vaccination points to make the process as convenient as possible for parents.

The Ripple Effect

This campaign represents more than just numbers. It's about preventing the kind of heartbreak that comes when a preventable disease changes a child's life forever.

When vaccination coverage stays high, entire communities become protected. The virus loses its ability to spread, shielding even the most vulnerable children who might have weak immune systems.

Journalists and health experts gathered in Lafia committed to countering vaccine misinformation and helping families understand why every dose matters. Dr. Kalu Idika, a media consultant, emphasized that accurate reporting builds the trust communities need to embrace vaccination.

The campaign builds on Nigeria's success story. The country was declared free of wild polio in 2020 after years of dedicated immunization efforts, though vaccine-derived cases still occasionally appear in areas with gaps in coverage.

Parents across Nasarawa State now have a clear path forward: welcome the health workers who knock on their doors this March and give their children the protection that only takes seconds but lasts a lifetime.