DUSHANBE, April 28, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Almost four million doses of UNICEF-procured oral polio vaccine (OPV) were delivered to Dushanbe on April 27, press release issued by the UNICEF CO in Tajikistan said.

Over the next few days, the vaccine will be distributed to all health facilities throughout the country for a three-round national immunization campaign against polio.

“We would like to thank all our partners at the Global Polio Eradication Initiative for helping us procure and deliver the vaccine in such a short period of time,” said Ayadil Saparbekov, Chief of Health and Nutrition in UNICEF Tajikistan. “I would like to urge all parents that have children aged 0 to 6 years to vaccinate their children during the National Immunization Days to protect them from polio.”

The vaccine was procured by UNICEF with support from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The first round of the National Immunization Days against polio will take place on May 4-8, 2010 and will be followed by another two rounds on May 18-22 and June1-5.  Almost 1.1 million children aged 0 to 6 across Tajikistan will receive two drops of the live-saving polio vaccine during each round.  Experience in outbreak interventions has shown that quick and repeated vaccination campaigns targeting children are highly effective in stopping outbreaks.

Polio has recently reappeared in Tajikistan after a 13-year absence, with seven cases confirmed so far and more than one hundred cases suspected. Together with its partners at the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, UNICEF is now working with Tajikistan’s Ministry of Health to stop the outbreak and save children’s lives.

In addition to supplying vaccines, UNICEF will also support the Ministry of Health by leading communication and social mobilization effort to inform the society about the campaign.