From Idu Jude, Abuja
The United Nations Children’s Education Fund, UNICEF, and and its sister organization World Health Organization WHO, and other health partners have jointly condemned the low acceptance of free vaccination against diseases.
The world body expressed the concern on Wednesday during a media sensitization on the forthcoming integrated SIAs across 26 states of the Federation and the FCT.
Mrs. Margaret Adaba Soyemi, social and behavior change officer at UNICEF, further blamed disinformation as part of the reasons.
She said that direct misinformation has dealt hard blows in the campaign against vaccinations across the country and should be discouraged.
” We urge the media to help as credible sources to discourage the duties of carrying out the campaign of immunization across the country. We are worried about the disinformation about vaccines and their effectiveness. We can still recall the news about COVID-19 when people were asked to take salts as a preventative measure, and the reason why that has wide Publicity is that the rumor mongers used the media to do the job, and people believed it because the media was.
“To address this anomaly, the media should also make use of data pro ideas by the authorities to educate the public and not rely on unverifiable information, which is very detrimental to public health.
Also speaking, Eng. Idris Abdulahi, the acting State coordinator of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, added that the nationwide program is to allow all 36 States of the Federation and the FCT to avail themselves of the National vaccination programs against the diseases, which are free.
Engineer Idris said that the media had been chosen as a veritable tool to drive home this message as the agencies, in collaboration with WHO, UNICEF, and other partners, work on the current status and statistics, risk, symptoms, prevention, and impact of underlined diseases. He said the program, which is to run from the 26th of October to the 2nd of November, is based its media campaign on the eradication efforts, prevention, and control measures, as well as vaccination strategies.
Dr. Ramatu Abdul-Aguye of the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFRINET), a health-based civil society organization(CSO), informed that her organization will actively be involved in the 2024 routine vaccination to help educate the people against the danger inherent in rejecting vaccination programs.
Dr. Rukaiya Wamakko, Director of primary healthcare, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Primary Healthcare Board, while delivering an address, said,d, “We need to remind the people that vaccination some time ago was a thing for the elites, but today, it has become a thing for everyone because it is free for all. And I found it extremely uncomfortable to see people still refuse to come out and avail themselves of the golden opportunities to be vaccinated against several killer diseases.
Dr Ramatu further stated that The 2024 integrated SIAs are critical to reducing the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases in Nigeria, adding that vaccinations must take place before outbreak seasons.
“Routine Immunization needs to be continually strengthened and SIAs provide opportunities to reach missed children and link them to the system
“For us in the FCT, this campaign must be used as an opportunity to stop the spread of cVPV; reach our 95% coverage target for measles so we can introduce MR into RI from 2025; and end Yellow Fever Epidemics, which is
the disease caused by the measles virus that is highly infectious.
“It kills more children than any other VPD, It tends to occur in epidemics among non-immunized persons.
“The disease is spread by contact with nasal/throat secretions of infected people in airborne droplets, especially in over-crowded conditions.
Dr. Nicholas Okoli said that the signs and symptoms also include high fever, runny nose, cough, red and watery eyes, small white spots inside the cheeks(koplik spots)
“symptoms rash develops (spread from the face, upper neck to the body and extremities)
He said that some of the complications of measles to be taken note of include diarrhea, dehydration, middle ear infection, deafness, pneumonia, and encephalitis.
He, however, said that treatment symptomatic for uncomplicated infection can be handled with Vitamin A, Antibiotics, and nutritional support for complicated diseases.
Mrs. Chinyere Umeh, while delivering a paper titled ‘The role of the media in mobilizing for participation and strengthening immunization,’ observed the critical role that the media play in the dissemination of information. She said that the power of the media, if well utilized, would break the barrier of poor participation in routine vaccination across the country.
Furthermore, she said that media practitioners should see the profession as a call to national duty as it helps the masses get to know of the inherent danger of little or no participation in National vaccination programs.