Techiman (B/A) Dec. 18, GNA - A total of 39,633 children in the Techiman District of Brong Ahafo were vaccinated against polio during the second-phase of the National Immunization Exercise.

Mr. Daniel Djan, Techiman District Disease Control Officer of the Ghana Health Service, who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency said 38,148 children were targeted to be immunized during the exercise. In addition to the immunization exercise, vitamin 'A' capsules were given to 34,794 children as supplements even though 34,333 were targeted to be carried out simultaneously with the polio exercise.

He said the exercise in the Techiman District covered six sub-districts, namely Tuobodom, Aworowa, Offuman, Tanoso, Nsuta and Forikrom, during which 840 new children were immunized.

The officer expressed regret that despite the efforts of the Ghana Health Service through the media and other traditional methods to educate members of the public about the programme, people had continued to remain adamant to the campaign against the six-childhood killer diseases, including polio.

Mr. Djan appealed to the government to enact a byelaw to prosecute recalcitrant parents who refused to present their children to be immunized.

He noted that most children who were not immunized developed mental illness, experienced retarded growth, became deformed or lost their sight.