Featured Stories
Pakistan aimed to immunize 45 million children under 5 against polio between October 28-November 3. The nationwide door-to-door campaign involving 455,504 health workers occurred in three phases: the first in Sindh province, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and then extending to Punjab, Balochistan and Islamabad. Vitamin A supplements were administered alongside nOPV2 to children ages 6 months to 59 months. The exercise was disrupted by violence targeting polio teams in North Waziristan and Upper Orakzai’s Dabori area. ReliefWeb; Business Recorder; Time; The Express Tribune
Kenya and Uganda conducted a synchronized cross-border polio vaccination campaign October 2-6, sending health workers door to door to reach more than 6.5 million children under age 10 with nOPV2. Launched in Kenya’s Bungoma district and Uganda’s neighboring Mbale district, the joint initiative focused mainly on 10 high-risk districts along the border, spanning around 480 miles. A second synchronized campaign is scheduled for November 6-10. New Kerala; Kenya MoH; WHO; The Star
Afghanistan kicked off a three-day polio vaccination campaign on October 28, targeting 6.2 million children under age 5 in 16 of the country’s 34 provinces, particularly those near the Pakistan border. The push resumed efforts after Taliban officials halted house-to-house vaccine deliveries for nearly two months. VOA; ABC News; Time
Gaza launched the second round of its emergency polio vaccination campaign on October 14, targeting more than 591,700 children under age 10 with the second dose of nOPV2, alongside vitamin A supplements. The three-phase initiative was planned for 12 days, but WHO was forced to postpone the drive in northern Gaza because of escalating military violence and intense bombardments. The agency said that achieving its target “is now unlikely due to access constraints.” UNRWA; Euro News; WHO; BBC; The Guardian
Outbreak Response
Ghana ran the first round of its nationwide polio vaccination campaign October 17-20. The exercise targeted over 6 million children under age 5 with nOPV2. A second round is planned for November 14-17. Ghana Guardian; Joy Online; GNA; DatelineHealthAfrica
Nigeria’s northeastern Taraba state launched a polio outbreak response campaign on October 31, targeting 1,133,445 children with 1,173,950 vaccine doses. Health workers prioritized high-risk and hard-to-reach areas. The Guardian
Nigeria’s western Kwara state conducted a polio outbreak response campaign from October 26-29, targeting over 1 million children under age 5. The activities spanned 16 local government areas as vaccinators moved from houses to markets, religious institutions, and schools. People’s Gazette
The DRC launched its first mpox vaccination campaign on October 5 in Equateur and North Kivu provinces. The initiative aimed to administer 265,000 doses of donated vaccine to healthcare workers, contacts of confirmed cases and other at-risk groups. The DRC has reported over 30,000 suspected and confirmed cases of mpox and 990 deaths since the beginning of the year, accounting for 90% of the cases reported from 15 countries in the African region, per WHO. Africa CDC; Reuters; WHO
Nigeria kicked off an mpox vaccination campaign on October 8 with 10,000 donated doses of the Jynneos vaccine. Of those, 9,980 doses were distributed evenly among five affected states to target 4,750 at-risk people, including healthcare workers, contacts of confirmed mpox cases and people with compromised immune systems. Vanguard; Reuters
Integrated Campaigns
Ghana conducted a nationwide measles and rubella vaccination campaign October 2-6, going house to house to reach children ages 9 months to 5 years with MR vaccine and vitamin A supplements. The initiative targeted over 5 million children under 5. WHO; GNA; 3news
The Philippines resumed its nationwide school-based immunization campaign on October 7, aiming to vaccinate 3.8 million students in grades 1 and 7 against measles, rubella, tetanus and diphtheria, along with providing HPV immunizations to 973,930 girls in grade 4 in select public schools. The school-based campaign was suspended during the peak of Covid-19 restrictions. Philstar; GMA
Spotlight on Integrated Campaigns in Nigeria
In October, Nigeria launched a nationwide integrated immunization campaign. Vaccination drives against measles, polio, and other vaccine-preventable diseases took place across more than a dozen states. The campaign aims to reach all 24 states by the end of the year and target almost 24 million children under age 5.
Lagos aimed to immunize 21 million residents through an integrated supplemental immunization push October 19-November 2. Around 63,981 personnel and 14,218 health workers were mobilized to vaccinate children under age 5 against measles and people ages 9 months to 44 years against yellow fever. People who missed oral polio and HPV vaccines were also reached, including girls between ages 9-14. THISDAY; People’s Gazette (1)
In Edo state and the South West states of Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo, integrated supplemental immunization efforts kicked off on October 5, aimed at vaccinating 5 million children against measles and other childhood diseases. Federal Character; Punch (1); Punch (2)
Anambra and Enugu states in Nigeria’s South East region held integrated measles vaccination drives October 12-18, targeting children ages 9 months to 59 months. In Anambra state, the effort planned to use 1,227,113 doses of the measles vaccine to immunize 1,168,679 million children at fixed and mobile sites. The sweep in Enugu state targeted 942,207 children. People’s Gazette (1); People’s Gazette (2)
In the North Central Region, integrated measles vaccination sweeps targeting children under age 5 kicked off in Niger and Plateau states on October 24 and Benue and Kogi states on October 26. Polio vaccines were administered during house to house efforts and at primary health centers in Niger and Plateau. People’s Gazette (1); People’s Gazette (2); VON; Vanguard; RadioKogi
Local Campaigns
Bangladesh launched a monthlong HPV vaccination campaign on October 24 targeting 6.2 million girls, including girls in grades 5-9 and girls ages 10-14 in the out-of-school community. The push (the second phase of a campaign that protected 1.5 million girls in October 2023) took place in educational institutions and fixed vaccination centers across the divisions of Barishal, Chattogram, Khulna, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur and Sylhet. UNICEF; The Financial Express; Bangladesh Post; The Lancet
Ghana carried out an MDA against schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths (STH) October 28- November 3. The campaign aimed to reach over 2 million children ages 5-14 with praziquantel and albendazole for schistosomiasis and STH, respectively. DailyGuideNetwork
Zimbabwe conducted the second and final phase of a nationwide MDA campaign against schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths (STH) October 14-21, targeting children under age 15 in vulnerable communities. The exercise reached 1,306,043 children with praziquantel (for schistosomiasis) and 1,054,558 children with albendazole (for STH) across schools, clinics and outreach posts. WHO; NewsDay; Chronicle
Kyrgyzstan ran a nationwide ‘mop-up’ immunization campaign against measles and rubella October 21-November 4, targeting unvaccinated children ages 9 months to 7 years and contacts of confirmed measles cases. The country had 526,000 donated doses of the MR vaccine to dole out for the initiative. Kabar; UNICEF