Vaccination and clean environment are determinants in checking the prevailing outbreak of yellow fever, Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has said.
Okowa, a medical doctor, emphasised this at the flag-off of preventive yellow fever mass vaccination campaign in Asaba, state capital.
He said the objective of the vaccination was to increase population immunity (herd immunity) to yellow fever, thereby reducing the risk of transmission of the disease in communities, while urging council chairmen to key into the programme.
According to him, poor community and environmental hygiene practices were risk factors for the yellow fever disease.
He stressed that the fight against vaccine-preventable diseases requires enormous collective efforts from individuals, households, health workers and community-based organisations to ensure its prevention, control and surveillance.
He noted that the health of the people is important to the government, assuring of government’s commitment to funding the health needs of the people.
The governor admonished Deltans to take responsibility for their personal and communal health, while supporting government’s initiatives, interventions and programmes to achieve optimal health.
He acknowledged the tremendous support of various health partners.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mordi Ononye, had explained that symptoms of the disease included fever, headache, jaundice, muscle pains, nausea, vomiting and fatigue.
