In its determination to fight cholera outbreak among children under 5 years caused by the rotavirus, the Bauchi State government has launched a 7-day vaccination of all children which will eventually lead to the introduction of the rotavirus vaccine into its routine immunisation schedule.
The official flag-off of the vaccination exercise was done at the Kofar Dumi Primary Healthcare Centre in Bauchi metropolis by the executive chairman of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency (BASPHCDA), Dr Rilwanu Mohammed.
He said the availability of the vaccine in the country was long overdue considering that 90 per cent of diarrheal diseases were caused by the rotavirus based on studies by various researchers coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO).
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
Rilwanu Mohammed added that most of the children that were presented to healthcare facilities with diarrhea were victims of rotavirus calling on parents to bring out their children to get vaccinated as it is an oral one and found to be effective.
According to him, “Rota vaccine is meant to protect your under five children against diarrhoeal diseases, dehydration and hospitalization.”
The BASPHCDA EC appealed, “Ensure that your children get the required doses of the rota vaccines at 6, 10 and 14 weeks of age. All vaccines are effective, safe and free,” Dr Mohammed urged mothers and caregivers.
He also disclosed that the Bauchi State government has received 200,000 doses from the federal government and that more will be received in due course as the state is expecting a total of 900,000 doses.
He thanked the federal government and international partners for making available the rota vaccines, assuring that they will be judiciously utilised across all the 20 local government areas of the state.
The state coordinator, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, (NPHCDA) Bashir Maidabino said that the launching of the rota vaccine in the state could not have come at a better time than now, especially looking at the damage diarrhoea is causing among the vulnerable children.
He also appealed to the mothers to complement the efforts of health agencies by imbibing the culture of hand washing, sanitation and personal hygiene, WASH, at the household level stressing that all children across the globe get infected before the age of five years by rotavirus.
In his remarks, a representative of the World Health Organisation, (WHO) in Bauchi State, Mr Tarik Beru said that the rotavirus vaccine is not new as it is being used in almost all developing countries with a view to guard children against diarrheal diseases.
Tarik Beru congratulated the state for launching ROTA vaccine and also mainstreaming it into their RI campaign.
Director, primary healthcare development, Bauchi local government area, Sulaiman Abdu Kirfi said that if children are fully vaccinated, they will be protected from diarrheal diseases, thereby reducing morbidity and mortality rate among them.
Represented by the Ɗan Kade of Bauchi, Alhaji Zailani Mahmud, the district head of Bauchi commended the BASPHCDA, NPHCDA and other donors as well as development partners for always supporting the state to boost its health sector.
The BASPHCDA executive chairman then led other dignitaries in administering the rota vaccines to the children under 5 years to officially begin the routine immunisation.