Parents apply fake inks on children to reject polio vaccine in Kano

A traditional ruler in Ungogo Local Government Area of Kano State, Alh Abdulkadir Ahmed has threatened to order for the arrest of any defiant parent against polio vaccination exercise in the area following a report that some parents are now thump printing their wards personally with fake inks to deceive the vaccinators that their children had earlier received the polio vaccine.  

Journalists Against Polio (JAP) observes that the polio vaccination procedure include marking fingers of the vaccinated children with delible ink to avoid omission, but some smart parents have now resolved to painting their wards’ fingers with fake inks to avoid the vaccination as reported by health officials.

Ahmed, who is the District Head of the LGA, gave the warning when an official of the World Health Organisation WHO, Naziru Salihu raised the alarm of fake thump printing during the evening review meeting of the just concluded July round of Routine Immunization RI exercise Against Polio in the State.

Salihu explained that during their visit to some households in the LGA, some parents claimed their wards had been vaccinated against polio, showing the officials the usual mark of thumb printing on their fingers, but it was discovered that the suspicious inks used by the parents were quite different to that of the vaccinators.

Reacting to the development, the District Head said the traditional rulers and other key stakeholders will not tolerate any calculated move capable of undermining the unrelenting efforts of stakeholders gearing towards eradicating polio virus in the State, hence sounding note of warning to the defiant parents to refrain from the act of face the wrath of the law.