By: Aisha Mohammed
Health Officer at the UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, Oluseyi Olosunde, says the involvement of parents, caregivers, and stakeholders has been identified as a strategic approach to addressing myths affecting the uptake of vaccines for children under five in Northern Nigeria.
He made this assertion during a press briefing ahead of the statewide polio immunization campaign in Yola.
Olosunde stated that despite efforts made to attain Nigeria’s polio-free status, more still needs to be done to strengthen partnerships and interventions aimed at saving the lives of children under five through a robust routine immunization system.
The Health Officer acknowledged the important role of the media in achieving universal immunization and protecting children under five.
He urged journalists to support the upcoming polio campaign through accurate reportage that dispels myths surrounding the polio vaccine.
Olosunde therefore called on parents, caregivers, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and other stakeholders to actively support the campaign and ensure that no child is left out.
The Executive Chairman of the Adamawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Suleiman Bashir, said extensive preparations have been made with support from the UNICEF Bauchi Field Office to ensure the successful rollout of the polio vaccine.
He urged parents and caregivers to play their vital role by ensuring their children under five are immunized.
Dr. Bashir emphasized that the vaccines are free, effective, and safe, he added that both previously immunized children and newborns should receive the vaccine to boost their immunity against childhood diseases.
On his part, the Director, Immunization and Disease Control at the Agency, Jacob Vasumu, stated that routine immunization is key to saving the lives of young children.
He added that selected indigenous healthcare workers have been trained to carry out house-to-house immunization to ensure no child is missed during the intensive campaign to eradicate polio in Adamawa State.
A total of 1,443,300 doses of the polio vaccine have been secured to reach an estimated 1,405,881 children during the upcoming four-day polio campaign scheduled for April 26 to 29, 2025.
The exercise will cover all 226 political wards in Adamawa State, targeting children aged 0 to 59 months.
