Experts advise parents to immunise children

Two health experts on Tuesday advised parents to immunise their children and wards regularly against preventable diseases to help reduce the rate of infant mortality in the country. The experts gave the advice in separate interviews withnewsmen ahead of the 2015 World Immunisation Week.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says: “The World Immunisation Week will be held from April 24 to 30. “It will signal a renewed global, regional and national effort to accelerate action to increase

awareness and demand for immunisation by communities, and improve vaccination delivery services.

“This year’s campaign focuses on closing the immunisation gap and reaching equity in immunisation levels as outlined in the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP). “The GVAP is a framework to prevent millions of deaths by 2020 through universal access to vaccines for people in all communities,’’ it said.

Dr Patrick Uduje, a Physician at Graceland Hospital, Lagos, said: “Studies show that vaccine preventable diseases are a major contributor to child morbidity and mortality especially in the Sub-Saharan Africa and Nigeria in particular. “The WHO’s statistics reveal that annually, vaccines prevent more than 2.5 million child deaths globally especially from deaths which could have been prevented through immunisation.

“These vaccine preventable diseases account for 17 per cent of global total under-five mortality per year and 22 per cent of child mortality in Nigeria. “This means that the appropriate deployment of relevant vaccines would significantly reduce mortality and that is why we appeal to parents to immunise their children and wards.’’

Uduje said that immunisation was important as it saved the lives of children, helped protect against certain diseases, as well as strengthened the body’s immunity to fight diseases. “Immunisation also protects the health of our community, especially those people who are not immunised, such as in the cases of polio, measles, whooping cough and others.

“These vaccines are safe, asides from some slight discomforts and pains. Some of them are even painless. “It is essential that people, especially children are immunised as some of these diseases are deadly. For instance, polio is a highly infectious viral disease that can cause irreversible paralysis.

“Measles is highly contagious and usually results in a high fever, and sometimes, can cause blindness or even death. “Hepatitis B infection attacks the liver, and that is why we keep stressing that children must be immunised on and as at when due,’’ Uduje advised.

Dr Temi Adekunle, Paediatrician, St. Rapheal’s Clinic, Surulere, said: “According to Nigeria’s National Programme on Immunisation, routine immunisation of children are carried out with vaccines for some diseases. “The Bacilli Calmette Guerin (BCG) is administered to a child at birth or as soon as possible after birth.

“The Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) is given at birth and also at six, 10, and 14 weeks of age. OPV can also be received any other time, especially during the immunisation weeks. “Pentavalent vaccine is a combination of five vaccines-in-one that prevents diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis b and haemophilus influenza type b, all through a single dose.

“The vaccine replaced the Diphtheria, Pertusis, Tetanus (DPT) vaccine which is given at six, 10, and 14 weeks of age. Vitamin A is given at nine months and 15 months of age. “The introduction of Pentavalent vaccine is expected to prevent nearly 400,000 cases of haemophilus influenza type B , with about 27,000 lives saved annually in Nigeria.’’

Adekunle said that while the Hepatitis B vaccine is given at birth, six and 14 weeks; Measles vaccine is administered at nine months of age and Yellow Fever, also at nine months. According to her, the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV10) was included as part of the routine immunisation schedule in 2014.

She explained that the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine 10 (PCV10), is a vaccine that prevents diseases caused by the pneumococcal bacteria. “WHO estimates that in Nigeria, Pneumonia claims the lives of approximately 177,000 under-5 children annually and these accounts for 16 per cent of all deaths within this age group.

“Thus, the need to also include this vaccine in our routine schedule,’’ she said Adekunle identified some challenges inhibiting the effective coverage of immunisation as inadequate awareness and sensitisation especially in remote locations, poverty, limited funding, poor healthcare system  and lack of adequate monitoring.