Swakopmund: Health authorities in the Erongo Region have urged parents and caregivers to ensure that all children under the age of 10 are vaccinated against poliovirus type 2 during the ongoing polio vaccination campaign. Erongo Regional Director of Health, Anna Jonas, warned that low coverage could leave communities vulnerable to transmission.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Jonas, during an information-sharing session in Swakopmund hosted by the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, said the campaign follows the detection of poliovirus type 2 in environmental sewage samples during routine surveillance conducted last year. This is despite Namibia not having recorded a polio case since 2006.

'The Ministry of Health and Social Services is acting to prevent possible transmission before an outbreak occurs,' Jonas stated. She highlighted that children born between 2016 and 2026 did not receive protection against poliovirus type 2 after the vaccine was removed from routine immunisation schedules in 2016.

The campaign targets all children from birth to under 10 years, regardless of their routine vaccination status, to interrupt any potential spread of the virus. The first round of the campaign was conducted from 26 to 29 January 2026, while the second and final round is scheduled for 24 to 27 February 2026. The campaign aims to achieve at least 90 per cent coverage to build herd immunity. In Swakopmund alone, about 21,633 children are targeted for vaccination.

Polio is a highly infectious disease transmitted mainly through the faecal-oral route, often via contaminated food or water. The virus can cause lifelong paralysis and, in severe cases, death. Chief Health Programme Officer in the Family Health Division of the MoHSS, Tuyenikelao Mwashekele, said vaccination teams are conducting house-to-house visits, school outreach, and community mobilisation, supported by fixed vaccination points at public and selected private health facilities.

'Children born during the campaign period or those who missed the first round will be vaccinated during the second round. Parents are encouraged to bring health passports, although vaccination will not be denied if documents are unavailable,' she said.