Adamawa Government has flagged-off meningitis “A” vaccination of children across the state.
Flagging-off the exercise at a ceremony in Demsa, the headquarters of Demsa Local Government Area, the State Deputy Governor who is also the Chairman of the State Task Force on Immunization, Chief Crowther Seth, said the flag-off was also to officially introduce the vaccine into the EPI schedule of routine immunization in the state.
Seth who described the vaccine as safe, cost effective and free, urged parents to make available their children to be vaccinated against the disease and other child killer diseases whose vaccines were now available in all primary healthcare centres in the state.
“In order to further demonstrate our commitment to achieving and sustaining a healthy population, we are today official,y launching the introduction of meningitis vaccine into EPI schedule of routine immunization in Adamawa state.
“Healthy children are not only assets to our dear state but remain the prime strength of economic viability of future Adamawa state.
“We therefore call on all health care workers, Local government chairmen, traditional and religious leaders and media to support this exercise,” Seth said.
In her remarks, the Executive Chairperson of Adamawa State Primary Healthcare Agency, Dr Batulu Mohammad, who described meningitis as one of the most dreaded contagious diseases, said formerly it vaccine was only given when there was an outbreak but this time around the federal government has directed that it should be given alongside other vaccines like yellow fever and measles during routine immunization for nine months old children.
Also speaking, the Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Alhaji Hamidu Buba who represented the Permanent Secretary, Mr Kennedy Bartimaus, who listed the benefits of immunization, cautioned the public now to pay any health worker for vaccination because it’s free.
Similarly, the representative of NPHCDA, Dr Dawoud, lauded Adamawa for doing well in area of immunization as shown by a survey and urged it to sustain the tempo.
In his speech, Hama Bata, Gladson Teneke, directed all wards, village and district head in the chiefdom to ensure adequate mobilization of their communities for a successful exercise.
He lauded stakeholders for the selection of Demsa for the flag-off and urged his subjects to make maximum use of the opportunity to immunize all eligible children.
In their goodwill message presented by Pharmacist Iyabosa Igbinovia of World Health Organization, the representatives of international organizations collaborating with Adamawa government, assured Adamawa of their sustain support in actualizing it goals in the health sector.
