By Angela Oduche
The Comprehensive Medical Centre (CMC), Awkuzu, has urged parents and caregivers to prioritise routine immunisation, stressing that timely vaccination remains an important way to protect children against vaccine-preventable diseases.
Immunisation involves administering vaccines that stimulate the body’s immune system to build protection against specific diseases. Health workers at the centre said ensuring that children receive their recommended vaccines on schedule can help prevent serious illnesses and support healthy growth and development.
The Matron of CMC Awkuzu, Mrs. Meze Apolonia, said vaccination protects children from diseases that can lead to severe illness, complications and, in some cases, death.
She advised parents not to wait until their children become ill before seeking medical attention, stressing the importance of prevention and early care.
Mrs. Meze encouraged mothers and caregivers to keep their children’s immunisation cards safely and follow the vaccination schedule provided by health workers, urging parents to maintain regular contact with health facilities to know when their children are due for subsequent doses.
A nurse at the centre, Miss Adora Okeke, emphasised the need for parents to complete the recommended immunisation schedule, noting that a child may appear healthy while still requiring vaccination to develop adequate protection against certain preventable diseases.
She, therefore, encouraged parents not to miss vaccination appointments or stop the schedule simply because their children appear well, urging caregivers to seek clarification from health workers whenever they have questions or concerns about vaccines.
Sharing her experience, a parent, Mrs. Obigwe Nneka, said she takes her child for routine immunisation because she understands the role vaccination plays in protecting children from preventable diseases.
She encouraged other parents to make immunisation a priority and take advantage of available health services.
Another parent, Mrs. Elesander Blessing, appealed to mothers and caregivers to follow the advice of health workers and ensure that their children receive vaccines as scheduled.
She described protecting children through timely immunisation as an important responsibility for parents and urged families not to neglect it.
Angela Oduche is of the Ministry of Information and Value Reformation, Anambra State
#Immunisation
#ChildHealth
#HealthyChildren
