The North-West geo-political zone has been to be lagging behind in immunising its children.
This is according to a statement released by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund.
UNICEF disclosed that only about 25 per cent of the children’s population in the block had been immunised.
The head, UNICEF field office in Sokoto, Dr Maryam Said, stated this on Saturday while delivering her goodwill message during a two- day media dialogue on routine immunization and the zero-dose campaign in UNICEF field office states at Sokoto Guest Inn.
Represented by the Health manager, UNICEF field office Sokoto, Dr Shamina Sharmin, Said noted that Nigeria has made progress in immunization, with National Routine Immunization coverage of children receiving all three doses of the pentavalent vaccine at 57 per cent, “but the completeness of Routine Immunization coverage is 36 per cent! For North-West Nigeria, the figure is only 25 per cent”
“The recent data from UNICEF’s flagship report, the State of the World Children’s Report 2023, lists Nigeria as one of the countries with highest Zero Dose children – a reference to children who didn’t receive a single dose of antigens they should have taken at their age to give them protection from vaccine-preventable diseases.
The report read, “Out of the 67 million children who missed routine vaccination between 2019 and 2022, 48 million didn’t receive a single regular vaccine. As of the end of 2021, India and Nigeria had the most significant numbers of zero-dose children.
“We all know that COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the situation as it interrupted childhood vaccination almost everywhere, mainly due to intense demands on healthcare systems, the diversion of immunization resources to COVID-19 vaccination, health worker shortages, and stay-at-home measures.
“Today, vaccines are estimated to be one of the most cost-effective means of advancing global welfare. Our Director of Public Health already mentioned how vaccine works and acts as a protective shield for the children against deadly diseases. Despite these longstanding benefits, low immunization levels persist.
“In recent years, the World Health Organisation declared vaccine hesitancy a top threat to public health. While vaccine hesitancy is as old as vaccination itself, the nature of the challenge continues to shift with the social landscape.
“Vaccine hesitancy and the misinformation it fuels are crucial drivers of under-vaccination across the globe. Disseminating accurate information and allaying the spread of misinformation is essential to ensuring every child is protected with life-saving vaccines.”
She, however, called on Nigerians to build on the gains made in Routine Immunization by sustaining awareness of the importance of Routine Immunization in the minds of caregivers, communities, decision-makers, and the public.
She assured that UNICEF was committed to providing caregivers and communities with fact-based information on vaccines, through community-level engagement and building partnerships.
