The Kwara State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (KWPHCDA) has assured the people of Kwara State that the measles immunisation vaccines are safe for the children.
The executive secretary of KWPHCDA, Dr Nusirat Elelu, gave the assurance during a stakeholders meeting hosted by the agency in Ilorin, the state capital.
Elelu said the stakeholders meeting was organised to tackle falsehood and misinformation that continue to trail the routine exercise in the state.
She added that the meeting was called to sensitise and seek assistance of the participants in educating the public on the benefit of getting their children vaccinated against diseases, and to start dispelling the rumour making the rounds on the safety of the immunisation vaccines.
Elelu, who expressed shock at the extent of public misinformation and misconception about the last polio vaccination campaign, said the agency considered it necessary to embark on special public sensitisation before the launch of a measles vaccination campaign soon.
She declared vaccines as safe and effective in preventing diseases and sought the cooperation of parents, caregivers, community and religious heads to help sensitise people around them on the need to avail their children the opportunity to be vaccinated.
She said each stakeholder in attendance has a role to play, such as passing round the right information about the vaccination programme, which she explained seeks to protect children specifically against measles.
“However, the upcoming measles campaign, which is why we are here today, is going to be more tough than the oral polio vaccine, because this is going to be an injectable vaccine. And before the start of measles vaccination we have begun to have a lot of concerns.
“Everyday I receive voice notes on social media. In fact, as of last week, we heard some parents are withdrawing their children from schools. All of you have heard that the HPV vaccine is going to be introduced and Kwara state is in phase II. The HPV vaccine is a very important vaccine and it is targeted at children from 9 to 14 years old.
“Unfortunately, people have twisted this information to become an advocacy for contraception, or a plot by the government to sterilize or reduce the productive performance of our girls. This, you might think, is something we should not worry about, but when we have parents withdrawing students from schools before even the vaccines are here, then there is a problem, and that also makes this meeting important,” she stated.
