Vaccine scepticism hits Gambia’s polio campaign

Efforts to eradicate polio in The Gambia are facing scepticism due to distrust of COVID-19 vaccines, according to a medical officer in the West African state. The government launched a polio vaccination campaign after the virus was detected in sewage samples in August. Vaccination teams and social mobilizers are going house to house, to health facilities, to markets, and to border crossings to vaccinate children aged 0-59 months (under 5 years) with two drops of oral polio vaccine (OPV). In The Gambia, immunization remains a top priority in the Ministry of Health’s program. All children under five years of age must be vaccinated to maintain the country’s polio-free status.