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Nqobile Bhebhe, [email protected] 

THERE was pandemonium at the Bulawayo City Council (BCC)’s Khami Road Stores in Bulawayo yesterday as hundreds of motorists rushed to register their vehicles for use in the National Polio Vaccination Campaign (Round 3), set to begin tomorrow. 

The campaign aims to immunise at least 95 percent of children under 10 years against the highly contagious and potentially crippling viral disease. 

The campaign will be conducted in two phases. The first round runs from tomorrow until Friday, while the second is scheduled for January 14-17, 2025. The supplementary immunisation activities (SIA) aim to enhance herd immunity and prevent the spread of polio, particularly in light of its resurgence in neighbouring countries such as Malawi and Mozambique.

Polio primarily affects children under five years old and, in severe cases, can cause paralysis or breathing difficulties. 

Zimbabwe has not recorded a wild polio virus case since 1989 and was declared polio-free by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2005. 

However, vaccine-derived polio virus (CVDPV) has been detected in environmental samples, necessitating the ongoing immunisation drive.

BCC required 178 vehicles, mainly double cabs and SUVs, for the campaign. To facilitate the process, the council invited motorists to register their vehicles for hire at a fixed daily rate, inclusive of fuel.

The registration and inspection processes were conducted on a first-come, first-served basis at BCC’s cleansing section behind Khami Café. The Chronicle news crew observed long queues of vehicles, with some drivers waiting since Friday to secure a spot.

“I’ve been trying to register since Friday morning, but the process only started today (Sunday). I want to contribute to this national cause, but the wait has been frustrating,” said Mr Adam Moyo, one of the motorists in the queue.

Another motorist, who declined to be named, suggested that BCC develop a database of vehicles used for national projects to streamline future initiatives. 

“Having a database would reduce inconveniences for motorists. With a database, the council could contact registered vehicle owners directly. Working with familiar people is good as it fosters continuity and trust,” he said. 

Bulawayo Town Clerk, Mr Christopher Dube

In a statement, BCC town clerk, Mr Christopher Dube said vaccines will be administered at municipal clinics, central hospitals, Mater Dei Hospital, selected private surgeries, crèches, primary schools, marketplaces, churches, bus termini, and through house-to-house outreach.

“The City of Bulawayo will be participating in the Round 3 national novel Oral Polio Vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) campaign, in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and partners.

“The virus has been infecting neighbouring high-risk countries, Malawi and Mozambique. The Covid-19 pandemic has negatively affected all routine immunisation service deliveries in Zimbabwe, this has resulted in low population immunity and surveillance gaps which has resulted in a greater risk for the polio virus to spread,” said Mr Dube.

He said since Zimbabwe started the environmental surveillance, there has been continuous isolation of vaccine-derived polio virus (CVDPV) from the samples collected which means the polio virus is still circulating.

“As a result, this has necessitated the need to conduct polio supplementary immunisation activities (SIA) to improve the herd immunity in the country,” said Mr Dube.

Zimbabwe is using the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) for the first time. The vaccine, launched globally by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 2021, is designed to combat vaccine-derived polio virus safely and effectively.

Polio is primarily transmitted through the faecal-oral route or via contaminated food and water. While 90 percent of infected individuals show mild or no symptoms, the disease can be debilitating in its severe form. Health experts say the incubation period is usually 7 to 10 days, but can range from 4 to 35 days. Up to 90 percent of those infected are either asymptomatic or experience mild symptoms and the disease usually goes unrecognised.