Senate Urges Northern Leaders To Encourage Polio Vaccination

The Senate has called on the northern community to speak out against the killing of health workers and confront the myth about polio vaccination which has is believed by the northerners to be a plot to cause infertility.

The Senate has also urged the Executive not to relent its efforts in eradicating the polio virus in the country despite the killing of health workers in Kano and Borno states.

Federal lawmakers condemned the killing of the health workers and described it as barbaric and a national disgrace.

The lawmakers also expressed concern about the prevalence rate of the polio virus in the country.

Polio vaccination in some parts of northern Nigeria has often met resistance as there exists a myth that polio vaccine causes sterility which is still believed by many in northern part of the country.

Matters however came to a head with the killing of 9 health workers by unknown gunmen in Kano.

The lawmakers therefore want the northern community to speak out against this crime and confront the myth about polio vaccination.

Some lawmakers have also opined that the incident may not be unconnected with terrorism in the country.

Lawmakers urged the federal government not to be intimidated in its fight against polio despite the killing of the health workers.