Despite a 99 per cent coverage in vaccinations in Cross River State, the Cross River State government says there are still areas where mothers hesitate to give their children vaccines.
To fill this gap, the United Nations Children’s Fund in Collaboration with the state government has commenced a campaign to sensitize mothers on the need for zero doze.
The campaign, currently ongoing in 200 communities across 33 states of Nigeria aims to address hesitancy in vaccine acceptance.
Dr Olusoji Akinleye, a vaccine specialist at UNICEF explained that Zero Dose occurs when children, pregnant and nursing mothers do not have access to vaccines.
He said it is even more dangerous for children who are denied vaccines in the first weeks of their lives.
Akinleye made the explanation during a media dialogue on sick newborns and zero doses in Calabar.
He said, “This is the reason we want to embark on one big catch-up campaign to convince people to accept the vaccines irrespective of psychological, religious and sociocultural barriers.
“Traditional and religious influences debar people in some parts of the country from accepting vaccines”, Akinleye said.
The Director General of the Cross River Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Viviene Mesembe Otu, in her contributions said, “In our case, logistics hampered delivery of Antigens and vaccines from Abuja, even though some vaccines are few.
Zero Dose campaign for vaccination begins in 200 Nigerian communities
