Mothers and caregivers in Anambra State have been urged not to discard the commendable disposition of being receptive to approved vaccines, for which the Southeast region of Nigeria is known.
According to her, the disposition has been responsible for the region’s positive health track record.
Mrs Soludo appealed during a health stakeholders’ engagement meeting on introducing the Measles and Rubella Vaccine in Anambra State, held at her instance at the governor’s lodge, Amawbia.
The event attracted supervisors of health, heads of public health institutions, and representatives of some private health institutions, the political class, among others.
Addressing the meeting, Mrs Soludo regretted that vaccine hesitancy has become rife in the state and across the Southeast, insisting that the habit is alien to the region and must be resisted.
Describing Measles and rubella as highly contagious viral infections that have led to unnecessary suffering, complications, and even deaths among the children, Mrs Soludo said with the introduction of this combined vaccine, the people will now have a powerful tool to change that narrative and reduce childhood mortality, prevent long-term disabilities, and secure the health of future generations.
She called on the wives of the mayors of the various Council Areas in the state to deepen advocacy in their areas to get parents and caregivers to support any vaccine approved by the state government for its citizens.
The governor’s wife believes that beyond enforcement, the parents must understand the importance of the vaccines and not be a barrier to their children accessing their right to immunization.
“Our people have always been at the forefront of embracing laudable initiatives in the health sector, which has made the region safe from all kinds of diseases in the past. I don’t know how we came about this situation where our people are now averse to vaccines. I don’t know what changed.
“In developed countries, no child will be admitted into any school if they do not present their up-to-date immunization record.
“We are having most of the problems in our private schools where the management preclude the children under their care from taking these vaccines, under the guise that their parents did not give approval.
“So we must restart this campaign again with mothers. Mothers and caregivers should bring out their children to take these immunization. All of us took these vaccines and we are better for it.
“We are also working out a strategy to partner with the traditional rulers, the religious leaders, and other opinion leaders to escalate the message and get our people to understand the benefits of these vaccines.
“When we do these, we will not have any problem in schools when these vaccinators come,” she enthused.
Earlier in a presentation, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike, said measles is a highly contagious disease characterized by fever, cough, conjunctivitis, and a distinctive maculopapular rash. If not treated well, it can lead to complications such as pneumonia and death, especially in young children and immunocompromised individuals.
He recalled that in 2022, when the Chukwuma Soludo administration came on board, there were measles cases in 7 local governments, with seven deaths recorded. He added that introducing the Measles and Rubella vaccines protects every child in the state from the ravages of the disease.
Acknowledging that the government and its partners alone cannot effectively implement immunization, Obidike called on stakeholders to further engage stakeholders in their areas to deepen the message that people should accept the vaccines.
“There is a lot of work to do to convince the people and counteract people peddling falsehoods about the vaccines.
“Why are both vaccines introduced together for 9 months to 14 years? It is because it is more effective in closing immunity gaps, interrupting transmission, and reducing the incidence of congenital malformation.
“After this launch of the measles and rubella vaccine, it will be introduced into the state’s immunization schedule, and we encourage our people to accept it. The government of Soludo cannot approve anything that will bring harm to the people. That I can assure you,” Obidike pleaded.
The Anambra State Coordinator of the World Health Organization, Dr Bonos Mohammed, advocated the setting up LGA taskforce teams to evolve strategies to address challenges of vaccine hesitancy in their localities.
He also emphasized the need for more stakeholder engagement to spread the message to all corners of the state.
