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Social mobilization is of particular importance during and leading up to
National Immunization Days.
Posters, banners, miking are all activities undertaken to announce the campaign.
Movie stars and national sports personalities all add their support to publicly
advocate for the importance of polio eradication.
Rotary International volunteers and UNICEF play a crucial role in this.
Rotarians are often community leaders, who are able to engage their entire
communities to participate in the immunization campaign. Rotarians often give
presents to children who have been immunized, such as whistles, balls or
sun-visors. Additionally, frequently they offer other health interventions to
families during an immunization campaign, such as eye-drops for example.
UNICEF has an extensive network of 3,300 Community Mobilizing Coordinators (CMC)
in place, whose sole role it is to get the word out among communities that the
polio immunization activities are being conducted and reminding parents on the
importance to have their children immunized.
The engagement of local influencers and religious leaders helps reduce any
potential resistance to the polio
vaccine among communities. 'Special teams' of local influencers or local
community or religious leaders visit homes of parents who may have concerns
about the safety of the polio vaccine. Vaccinators carry written statements such
as religious fatwas with them, to re-assure parents that polio vaccination is
the right thing to do for their children.
All these activities contribute to ensuring as many children as possible are
reached during a National Immunization Day.
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