…as vaccination exercise begins in Bauchi
Salisu Haruna, a father of 28 children in Bauchi State, has explained why he refused to allow his children under four years get vaccinated against polio disease for the past four years.
Haruna disclosed this to a group of journalists during compliance monitoring of the polio immunisation exercise in Azare, Katagum Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
He said that for the past four years, he didn’t reject Immunisation intentionally, but out of ignorance and was thinking that Government and NGOs just brought the exercise to force people on something that was not good, but for their interest.
He further said that his family suffered a lot for four consecutive years of non-compliance with polio immunisation.
Read also: UNICEF launches polio catch-up campaign in Northeast to mark immunisation week
“I thought Polio Immunisation was brought to stop us from giving birth to many children, not knowing that it would give good health to the affected children, make them to grow fast and strong.
“I thought the immunisation of polio vaccine would injure and even kill my children, that was why I had rejected it for the past four years
“But now, I comply with polio immunisation because of the awareness of the Bauchi State Government and UNICEF that saved the lives of my remaining children.
“You can not know that polio immunisation vaccine is important unless one of your children is affected with the disease and your income is very low to take care of the child, but with the support of Polio Immunisation through NGOs from abroad, children will look good and healthy without taking them to the hospital ”
“Even if they sick, you can not spend alot of money because they are always taking polio immunisation vaccine every month.
“My children are all taking the polio immunisation vaccine every time, and they are all looking stronger, healthier, and also performing well in their schools.”
Haruna, however, urged parents, particularly men to support their women in allowing their children to recieve polio immunization, saying without taking it the children would not grow fast, strong and healthy, but “children with polio, their level of understanding will be different from others that had not taken it.”.
Read also: Kogi immunises 77,495 children against polio
In her part, Saadatu Hamza, team supervisor of Dandalbatu polio Immunisation unit in Masango ward, said there was a total compliance during the immunisation exercise.
She said because of the goodness of the vaccine, children had been following them from one house to another just to make sure that all of them are vaccinated.
She urged parents to make their children frome 0-59 months for the polio immunisation exercise for the good health and better future of children.
While David Audu, a UNICEF Specialist on Health Bauchi field office, said the didn’t record any non-compliance in the first day of the polio immunization exercise in Zaki local government area of the State.
The UNICEF Specialist on Health, David Audu expressed his appreciation to the good people of Katagum zone for total compliance of the exercise, urged them to do same thing in the remaining days of the polio Immunization exercise.
