Health officials have immunized 5,345 children recently rescued from insurgents living in Internally Displaced Persons, IDP, camps set up in Yola, capital of Adamawa State.

The children, aged between 0-15 years, were immunized at the Malkohi IDP camp in the Adamawa state capital.

The NEMA camp coordinator in the state, Sa’ad Bello, said the exercise was carried out in conjunction with the United Nations Children Education Fund, UNICEF.

He said the vaccination exercise, which was equally supported by other local aid groups, was aimed at preventing illnesses such as measles, poliomyelitis, tetanus, whooping cough, diphtheria and hepatitis B.

He added that over 5,345 children, between the ages of six months to 15 years were vaccinated against measles through campaigns and routine immunization in camp health centres.

Bello said the agencies collectively provided integrated Primary Health Care, PHC, services to IDPs in six camps and four out-of camp settlements in parts of Adamawa.

“As of this month, May, 2015, over 35,961 men, women and children benefitted from various PHC services, including curative service, immunization with Vitamin A supplementation and deworming tablets, screening for malnutrition, HIV counselling and testing,” he also said.

The NEMA official further said that out of the 275 persons that were rescued and handed over to NEMA by the army about two weeks ago, 63 children were unaccompanied while six women were found to be pregnant.

He noted that NEMA in collaboration with the UN agencies had already mobilized a team of experts in psycho trauma counselling and medical doctors to provide all the needed medical support to the IDPs.