The Ministry of Public Health and Population, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), is launching the second round of a polio vaccination campaign in 12 Yemeni governorates.

The campaign, which runs from July 15 to 17, 2024, aims to vaccinate more than 1.3 million children under the age of five with the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) to combat the outbreak of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2). The campaign will also provide children with Vitamin A supplements to boost their immunity.

This second round comes after the success of the first round, which reached 1.3 million children in the southern governorates in February 2024.

“This campaign is a critical step in our ongoing efforts to eradicate polio and prevent its spread,” said Dr. Arturo Pesigan, WHO Representative in Yemen.

“Vaccination is the only way to protect children from polio,” added Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Representative in Yemen. “It is an investment in the well-being of children and the future of the country.”

This campaign is also supported by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), which underscores the international community’s commitment to a polio-free world.

Source: https://x.com/UNinYE/status/1813226857866653782