Takoradi, March 4, GNA - About 532,147 children below five years, in=

the Western Region, are expected to be immunized during this year's Poliomyelitis (Polio) immunization exercise.

A team of 2,150 personnel, 4300 volunteers and 430 supervisors has b= een mobilized to start the programme that would be implemented in two phases:=

from 5 March to 7 March and from 23 April to 25 April, this year. Mr. Peter Ofori Tweneboah, Regional Coordinator of the Expanded Programme on Immunization, announced these at a press conference on Wednesday at Takoradi. He assured parents that multiple dosages to children was unharmful a= nd that "The vaccine is safe and multiple doses rather enhances child protection".

Mr. Tweneboah explained that Polio is an acute viral disease contrac= ted through the eating of contaminated food and water, which could leave its victim either paralysed for live. He said children who would be vaccinated would be marked on the litt= le left figure while houses that would attain complete vaccination would be marked V1 and circled. Mr. Tweneboah said Ghana for sometime now had not recorded any case of Polio virus. He, however, called for serious efforts to consolidate the gains sin= ce neighbouring West Africa countries including Togo, Benin and Nigeria have=

recorded Polio cases. Mr. Tweneboah said Nigeria, Pakistan, Asia, India and Afghanistan we= re endemic countries and that 33 new cases have been reported in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, India and Guinea. 4 March 10 Attention recipients, item 03 ends first cast.