UNICEF: Over 1.2 million children yet to be immunised in Nigeria

UNICEF says no fewer than 1.2 million children in Nigeria are yet to be immunised

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says no fewer than 1.2 million children in Nigeria are yet to be immunised.

The figure accounts for about six per cent of 20 million children globally who are yet to be vaccinated.

Mrs Folashade Adebayo, UNICEF’s Communication Officer, made the disclosure in Yola on Wednesday, at an ongoing “Media Dialogue On Routine Immunisation, Post Polio Certification and COVID-19 Vaccination”.

The meeting was organised by The Child Rights Information Bureau (CRIB) of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture in collaboration with the UNICEF.

According to science.org.au, immunisation is described as “the process whereby people are protected against illness caused by infection with micro-organisms, formally called pathogens.

The term vaccine refers to the material used for immunisation, while vaccination refers to the act of giving a vaccine to a person.”

Adebayo said that over 20 million children in the world are not immunised, adding that, about six per cent of them are in Nigeria are basically missing out on vital vaccines.

According to her, there is a need to report more stories on poor immunisation rates in Nigeria to wake parents up to do the right thing for their children.

Adebayo said that the World Health Organisation (WHO) had also disclosed that Nigeria is the country with the highest number of under five-deaths in the world.

She said that this position really called for serious attention on the part of the parents to take the issue of immunisation of their children serious at this point time.

“Improving survival and well-being of our children matters most here, the direct or underlying cause of 45 per cent of all deaths of under five children is immunisation.

“Nigeria has the second highest burden of stunted children in the world, 2.7 million other children are wasted.

“Also the COVID-19 pandemic and measures to contain it are worsening,” she said.

She, however, called for change in the narrative on the part of the parents, adding that, governments and other relevant agencies must also play their key role to achieve better results.