Gombe to begin CSM vaccination soon-Commissioner

Gombe to begin CSM vaccination soon-Commissioner AUWAL AHMAD In effort to prevents the Cerebral Spinal Meningitis outbreak,the Gombe state Ministry of Health said to have perfected a plan to begin vaccination of children One to 6 years on CSM before the rainy season in the state. The state commissioner of health, Dr Kennedy Ishaya disclosed this in an interview with the Journalists in Gombe on Friday shortly after meeting with the state committee on Epidemic Rapid Response on health issues. He said, they would focus on that particular group because they are the most vulnerable whenever there is outbreak of such health issue. Dr. Ishaya said that the rainy season is fast approaching,saying that CSM is associated with winds. “Although we have not recorded any CSM case in Gombe state but we want to take precautions, to curtail the problem in case it happens He added that they have been receiving unconfirmed cases of CSM sporadically but they were treated even before their sample was taken for test, and Gombe people travel daily to the North West where cases of CSM were reported. “There are the likelihood of importing the case to Gombe hence the needs to take measures,” he said. “We want to make arrangements of adequate drugs ahead of time, we do not want fire brigade approach,” he said. The commissioner also said, the state is looking for a possibility of establishing lab in Gombe, instead of taking samples to Lagos. He said, the meeting focused on four health issues that are of threats to human lives, namely CSM, Miseales, Lassa fever and Polio. Ishaya, further advocates for non-killing of cats in Gombe because is a natural predator of rats. “Stop killing cats, they are natural predator of rats, and we are all aware that rats cause Lassa fever,” he said. He said, the state government has secured about 200 ampoules of Lassa fever drugs in case of outbreak.