Benin city – Edo state government is set to declare it’s Immunization day, in its determination to achieve hundred percent coverage of vaccination for under five children and to improve the health status of the state.

The state deputy governor and Chairman of the state Immunization Taskforce, Rt Hon comrade Philip Shaibu made this known during the state evening review meeting on the Immunization, meant to appraise their performance in the state.

Comrade Shaibu who presided over the review meeting, received reports from the state Immunization Officer, the World Health Organization representative, and other stakeholders on the level of success recorded in this years immunization exercise in the state.

The deputy Governor said the governor has tasked his committee to come up with plans to have a day for the State Immunization Day, to complement the National and world Immunization days as well as to ensure total coverage of vaccination of under five children.

Meanwhile,Comrade Shaibu has declared the National Immunization Plus days in the state as successful, noting that all current indicators show a large coverage of under five children already.

Hon Shaibu however frowned at the attitude of some Local Government Administrators who were not present at the various review meetings in their areas as well as those who did not release their counterpart funds.

He however directed the Permanent Secretary, ministry of health, Dr Peter Ugbodaga to carry out an investigation and come up with a report on why the concerned local governments defaulted.

Earlier in her presentation, the state Immunization officer Mrs Justina Akhurele said despite the failure of three Local Governments to provide their counterpart funds, the programme was a success across the state, with early indicators giving the state a green status on vaccination.

Also speaking, the Edo state representative of the World Health Organization, Mrs Faith Ereye commended the political will of the state government to ensuring total coverage of vaccination in the state.

It could be recalled that the state Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki had tasked the state taskforce on immunization to ensure proper monitoring of the exercise, as his government was committed to reducing infant and child mortality rate in the state, with an announcement of N5m prize for outstanding performance for local governments.