UNICEF: 2.3m Nigerian Children Unvaccinated as Lagos Targets 21m Residents for Supplementary Immunisation Exercise

James Sowole and Funmi Ogundare

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), yesterday, disclosed that 2.3 million children in Nigeria have yet to receive any vaccines.

Celine Lafoucriere, Chief of UNICEF’s Southwest Nigeria Field Office, made this known at a two-day media dialogue, in Lagos, aimed at improving routine immunization and reducing the number of unvaccinated, or ‘zero-dose’, children.

The event was themed ‘Achieving the Health Sector SDGs for Over Two Million Children at Risk of Death in Nigeria’.

Lafoucriere highlighted that immunization is a fundamental right of every Nigerian child, critical in preventing life-threatening diseases and infections.

She noted that UNICEF aims to increase the number of vaccinated children by 50 percent cent each year and register 30 per cent more vaccinated children by 2025.

She expressed concern over the pressing issue of zero-dose children in Nigeria, stating, “we still have a significant challenge, with 2.3 million children yet to receive any vaccines. These children are mostly in marginalised and hard-to-reach areas, and vaccines are essential to their health.”

She stressed that vaccines are not only a fundamental right, but also key to improving health outcomes and reducing inequalities.

To address the issue, UNICEF, in collaboration with the government and other partners, has identified 100 local government areas across 18 states with the highest concentration of zero-dose children as a priority for immunization efforts.

She appealed to the media to play a crucial role in accelerating immunization efforts in Nigeria, saying, “We need the media to join hands to increase the vaccination rate by 50% each year. Your influence is vital in catalyzing action and building a resilient health system that ensures no child suffers from preventable diseases.”

Lafoucriere also urged the media to help combat misinformation about vaccines, adding, “by working together, we can build a resilient health system capable of reaching every child, leaving no one behind.”

Dr. Abimbola Bowale, Permanent Secretary of the Primary Health Care Board, Lagos State Ministry of Health, announced that a supplementary immunization exercise would begin on October 19, across all 20 local government areas in Lagos State.

This two-week exercise will target over 21 million residents, about 85 per cent of Lagos population; and will include the administration of four vaccines for both children and adults.

Represented by Dr. Adeniji Adebayo, Assistant Immunization Program Coordinator, Bowale explained that the immunization campaign would focus on tackling yellow fever, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and other Routine Immunization (RI) antigens.

He assured those strategies and arrangements had been made to reach the targeted population, including deploying mobile immunization teams to visit outreach sites and administer vaccines.

He emphasized the importance of fully immunizing every child, noting that the government had selected experts and support teams to ensure the success of the exercise.

He added that the Ministry of Health is working closely with interest groups to reach the target population.

In his presentation, ‘Childhood Immunization in Southwest Nigeria: MICS 2022 Results,” the permanent secretary emphasized that vaccines are the foundation of economic development.

He however expressed concern over the large number of unvaccinated children in rural areas due to barriers such as lack of access, social factors, supply chain issues, among others.