“WHO and its partners continue to work closely with the Government of Jordan and governments in the Region to strengthen and maintain immunity levels against polio, and to enhance surveillance systems to detect the virus. Until transmission is stopped for good, countries must keep up their guard. This is no time for complacency,” he added.
The campaign lasted 5 days and placed a special focus on reaching communities in high-risk areas of the country.
“Reaching all children with the vaccine is the only way to effectively block out the poliovirus,” said Dr Osama Mere, WHO polio technical officer. “An extra effort was made to reach communities living in remote areas, particularly nomadic groups and families living in informal settlements. This called for detailed campaign micro-planning down to the household level, and a combination of approaches involving both fixed and mobile vaccination teams,” he added.
Throughout the immunization drive, monitoring teams comprising Ministry of Health, WHO and UNICEF staff conducted visits to inspect cold chain vaccine storage and to supervise vaccine administration. The teams also travelled to high-risk areas to ensure communities were being reached.
“We are very pleased with Jordan’s campaign preparation, execution and performance,” said Dr Mere. “We hope this level of scrutiny and care is maintained in campaigns going forward, until there is no longer a need for them,” he added.
The next step for the Jordan’s polio programme is the national switch from trivalent to bivalent OPV on 23 April, which will take place in synchronization with global plans.
Photo gallery
Children in a Jerash health centre have their fingers marked for vaccination verification purposes after receiving two drops of oral polio vaccine.
Photos: WHO/J.Swan
Children in a Jerash health centre have their fingers marked for vaccination verification purposes after receiving two drops of oral polio vaccine.
Photos: WHO/J.Swan
Child in Jerash receives vaccine in a health clinic
{/besps_c}WHO’s Dr Osama Mere vaccinating a child in a high-risk area during a mobile clinic visit
{/besps_c}An 11-day old baby gets his finger marked after receiving OPV
{/besps_c}WHO technical officer and a Jerash Directorate of Health official check health centre refrigerator temperature records.
{/besps_c}For optimal efficacy, OPV must be stored between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius
{/besps_c}Children of a nomadic family in a high-risk area outside Jerash. Polio vaccinators reached the family’s under-5-year-old in the campaign. A mark on the boy’s ‘pinky’ finger, made with a semi-permanent marker, indicates that he was recently vaccinated
{/besps_c}Children of a nomadic family in a high-risk area outside Jerash. Polio vaccinators reached the family’s under-5-year-old in the campaign. A mark on the boy’s ‘pinky’ finger, made with a semi-permanent marker, indicates that he was recently vaccinated
{/besps_c}When travelling to communities to administer OPV, vaccination teams use cool boxes to store the vaccine. WHO speaks to a nurse in a health centre about vaccine storage procedures
{/besps_c}Checking micro-plans to verify households are included in the maps
{/besps_c}Children in a Ramtha health facility receiving OPV
{/besps_c}Children in a Ramtha health facility receiving OPV
{/besps_c}The monitoring team visits Pakistani families living in a high-risk area of Ramtha
{/besps_c}Checking the fingers of children in a high-risk area
{/besps_c}Checking the fingers of children in a high-risk area
{/besps_c}