A biopharmaceutical company, Pfizer, has partnered the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan to enhance the quality of care provided to patients and ensure global best practices.
Mr Olayinka Subair, Cluster Lead for West Africa/Country Manager Nigeria, Pfizer, made the disclosure in a statement on Monday in Lagos.
Subair said that UCH had decided to formulate a policy on immunization with a focus on adult vaccination.
He said that Pfizer had a long history in vaccine research and development through innovative delivery systems and technologies.
“We’ve created scalable solutions that address prevention of deadly bacterial infections.
“The key to maintaining and building on these advances is constant vigilance and continued access to immunisations which is essential to preserving the progress we’ve made against vaccine-preventable conditions and strengthening our ability to address emerging health threats,” he said.
Subair noted that globally, vaccines have provided more positive impact on public health than any other medical intervention.
He said over the years, the pediatric age group had been targeted by the majority of the vaccines developed, noting that protection from some childhood vaccines could wear off over time.
According to Subair, adults may be at risk for vaccine-preventable diseases.
“Some vaccines have been recommended for adults, these can be divided into those for the general population and those indicated for individuals with specific risk factors .
“Risk factors include pre-existing chronic diseases or multimorbidities, compromised immune system, travel, or potential occupational risks such as exposure of healthcare workers.
“Most of the high-income countries have developed policies to enhance universal vaccination of adults.
“Despite the universal immunization coverage in high income countries, Nigerian adults are yet to be reached,” Subair said.
Also, Prof. Jesse Otegbayo, the Chief Medical Director, UCH, Ibadan, said that the hospital has decided to formulate adult immunization policy to enhance patient’s quality of care in line with global best practices.
“UCH as the flagship tertiary health care institution in the West Africa sub-region, offering world-class training, research and services is happy collaborating with Pfizer in spearheading an adult vaccination policy for the Institution,” Otegbayo said.
Otegbayo said the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centre for Disease Control have developed an approach for the administration of the vaccine referred to as H-A-L-O approach.
He said that this easy-to-use chart could help healthcare providers make an initial decision about vaccinating a patient based on four factors –patient’s health condition; age; lifestyle, and occupation.
Otegbayo, however, stressed that in some situations, vaccination could be done without considering the above factors.
He noted that vaccines are safe and effective against vaccine-preventable diseases.
