By Vincent Anaebo
Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State has intensified efforts to promote routine immunisation through stakeholder sensitisation and public awareness campaigns aimed at addressing misinformation, building public trust and increasing vaccine uptake.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Orumba South Local Government Secretariat, Umunze, on November 11, the Head of the Health Department, Mrs Philomena Aniukwu, expressed concern over the area’s classification among the eight priority local government areas with the highest burden of zero-dose and under-immunised children in Anambra State.
The Orumba South Social Mobilisation Officer, Mrs Hope Ike, described routine immunisation as an essential public health intervention that protects infants and children against life-threatening vaccine-preventable diseases.
She highlighted its benefits to include disease prevention, reduction in child mortality, development of herd immunity, cost-effective healthcare and access to free vaccination services. She urged stakeholders to spread the message across their communities to ensure that unvaccinated and partially vaccinated children receive the necessary doses.
Also speaking, Hon. John Chukwuemeka, who represented the Orumba South councillors, called for increased grassroots mobilisation and pledged the councillors’ support in their respective wards to improve immunisation coverage across the local government area.
A community leader from Umuchukwu Ward, Mr Jude Nwaele, identified misinformation circulating on the internet, particularly claims linking childhood and adolescent vaccines to long-term infertility and population control, as a major factor contributing to vaccine hesitancy and incomplete immunisation.
In her remarks, the Local Government Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Mrs Amarachi Eze, reassured residents of the safety of vaccines, disclosing that indigenes from every community would henceforth be actively involved in routine immunisation activities to address public concerns and build confidence.
She further revealed that the Mayor of Orumba South, Hon. Shedrack Azubuike, had constituted an immunisation task force to tackle the declining vaccine uptake and ensure that the local government achieves its routine immunisation targets.
Vincent Anaebo is of the Ministry of Information and Value Reformation, Anambra State
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