The FCT Primary Health Care Board (FPHCB) says its 2024 integrated Supplementary Immunisation Activities (SIAs) scheduled to hold from Oct. 26 to Nov. 2, will prevent death of 3.5 million children.
Dr Ruqayya Wamakko, the Acting Executive Secretary, FPHCB, said this in Abuja on Wednesday during a one-day media orientation on the integrated SIAs, organised by the Board with the support of the United Nations Children Emergency Funds (UNICEF).
Wamakko urged parents to avail their children ranging from 0 to 59 months for vaccination during the forthcoming immunisation exercise.
According to her, vaccines are immunity for life, and that there is nothing to scare about when issues of vaccine are being discussed.
She urged the media to help in sensitising Nigerians on the importance of the vaccination at the nooks and crannies of the FCT, saying that with media partnership, the vaccination would go wider.
“This is the time we need to disseminate all the antigens of vaccine in the rural areas. The vaccines, funded by the government, are free of charge.
“The vaccine we are planning to give children, will also happen in some states, from the state, it will get to the local government in the co-chain.
“Each vaccine has various temperature that we keep it. We urge the media to help disseminate information about importance of vaccination.
“We must trust our government, the vaccines are safe, we must also trust the efficacy of vaccines that we usually administer to people,” Wamakko said.
Dr Nicholas Okoli, the Acting Director, Primary Health Care unit, FPHCB, said that the vaccines would prevent diseases such as cervical cancer, tuberculosis and hepatitis B.
According to Okoli, others are polio, diphtheria, haemophilus influenzae B, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, pneumococcal disease, measles, yellow fever, meningitis, diarrhea, and human papilloma virus.
“The vaccines have gone through rigorous testing before they are being produced for use.
“There are so many diseases these vaccines are preventing, please make your children available because the country is still running outbreak of most of these primary diseases.
“The aim is to address immunity gap in the population of vaccines preventable disease,” Okoli said.
UNICEF representative, Mrs Margaret Soyemi, the Social and Behaviour Change officer, said that immunisation was key deliverables for children.
Soyemi said most of the diseases that kill children are preventable with integrated intervention.
According to her, there will be a drastic reduction in child’s mortality if all parents make their children available for the vaccination.
She urged the media to create awareness for parents to take advantage of the vaccine to save the lives of their children.
