Child vaccination is simply the act of administering vaccine(s) to a child in a bid to prevent some childhood illnesses.

Immunization, however, is the biochemical & physiological processes the administered vaccine(s) will undergo in the body to now confer a preventive state(immunity) against the illness being prevented.

A successful completion by mothers taking their babies through this immunization schedule helps assure the child’s life through the first year. Deaths within the first year of life is what constitutes infant mortality.

Alarming to note is that infant mortality rate in Nigeria today is 110 per 1000 livebirths. Meaning, 110 children die before 1yr of age for every 1000livebirths. That of Egypt is 29 per 1000, SouthAfrica 45 per 1000, South-Sudan 65 per 1000.

Many diseases plaguing infants are preventable and vaccines are readily available for their prevention. This has, therefore, been factored in to form the immunization schedule that every child should go through.

Contents of each schedule varies from country to country depending on the prevalent diseases.

The diseases covered in the immunization schedule in Nigeria are; polio, hepatitis B, pertussis(whooping cough), diphteria, tetanus, yellow fever, measles, Haemophilus influenza bacteria(which can cause meningitis or pneumonia).

Seeing mothers run around, spending huge sums of money over a sick child whose disease can be prevented is not a sight to behold neither is it pleasing to see a wailing mother because of a dead child!

Vaccination remains free in all government-owned hospitals except in private-hospitals where a token is collected.

It is popularly said, education is the best legacy any parent can give a child. I rather say child immunization is the best health legacy any mother/guardian can give to assure a child’s future.

If we adults were not vaccinated in our early ages then, we would probably be dead because of ravaging childhood diseases.

Take that newborn for vaccination today!

Dr Kunle Shokunbi


http://www.dammydudu.com/2015/08/child-vaccination-by-dr-kunle-shokunbi/

It is real alarming, the rate at which babies die at childbirth especially in the rural areas.I think the ministry of health should create more awareness in these affected rural areas to save our future leaders.