Diphtheria Outbreak: Ohonbamu Urges Parents to Vaccinate Children

… Avoid self-medication, late presentation  to the hospital

By Simeon OSAJIE

Edo State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Hon. Paul Ohonbamu has called on parents to encourage vaccination of their children, avoid self-medication and late presentation of symptoms to the hospital to curb the spread of Diphtheria.

The Commissioner who made the call in Benin said the state government is doing everything possible to curtail the spread of Diphtheria in the state.

According to him, “Let us encourage people to take the vaccines. Everybody should be vigilant and follow directives of the Ministry of Health public enlightenment on the causes and symptoms of Diphtheria.

“Let us keep our environment clean and make sure that there are no pool of water for mosquitoes to breed, and desist from buying drugs over the counter.”

Commissioner Ohonbamu noted that the Diphtheria outbreak reported in the state is because people have not been vaccinating their children as expected, adding that, the Government has responded to the situation by improving surveillance and vaccinations across the state.

He advised that parents of children below 5 years should please go to the health centres to get them vaccinated.

“The Government is giving booster doses to children aged between 5 and 14. We should avoid overcrowding, practice hand and cough hygiene, make early presentation in hospitals and avoid self-medication of symptoms.

“The Diphtheria disease is preventable. While the government is providing the Vaccines, the population must receive the vaccines. It is this cooperation that will break the transmission of the Diphtheria in our society,” he added.