Parents ‘using fake ink on children’ to avoid polio vaccination in Kano

Abdulkadir Ahmed, a traditional ruler in Ungogo local government area of Kano, says parents who prevent their children from getting vaccinated against polio will be arrested.

Ahmed made this statement in reaction to reports that some parents are thumb printing their children with fake inks to deceive the vaccinators that their children had received polio vaccine.

According to ThisDay, Naziru Salihu, a World Health Organisation (WHO) official, raised the alarm of fake thumb printing during a review meeting of the routine immunisation against polio in the state.

Salihu explained that during their visit to some households in the area, some parents claimed their wards had been vaccinated against polio by some health officials.

He said parents used the usual mark of thumb printing on the children’s finger but the ink used by parents was different from that of vaccinators.

Reacting to the development, the district head said the traditional rulers and other key stakeholders would not tolerate any attempt to scuttle the efforts of stakeholders who seek to eradicate polio virus in the state.

He warned defiant parents to refrain from the act or face the wrath of the law.

Nigeria had been declared polio-free in 2015 until new cases were discovered in 2016. As at July 10, Nigeria had four reported cases of polio.