Morobe, Madang and Eastern Highlands provinces of Papua New Guinea are receiving a second round of the polio vaccination campaign from today through to September 2.
The WHO's Regional Director for the Pacific, Dr Shin Young-soo provides oral polio vaccine in Lae in Morobe Photo: supplied
This comes after four recent cases of polio and dozens of suspected cases.
The PNG secretary of health, Pascoe Kase, said parents were being reminded to bring children under five years of age to the vaccination point.
It was important to get the vaccine in every round of the campaign to ensure full protection, he said.
From next week Enga, Chimbu, Southern Highlands, Western Highlands, Jiwaka and Hela will have their first round of vaccinations.
The campaign in the nine provinces aims to reach over 700,000 children under five.
A nationwide polio vaccination campaign is planned for September and October targeting over one million children under the same age.
The World Health Organisation's representative in PNG, Luo Dapeng, said polio was a very dangerous disease with no cure and that vaccines were the only weapon to protect children in PNG.
The polio vaccine was safe, effective and free, he said.
The WHO in PNG speaking to the community in Lae Photo: supplied