The Nigeria Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) and National Immunisation Coverage Survey (NICS) have stated six in every ten children under two years in Nigeria are vulnerable to at least one vaccine-preventable disease.
They said this is because only 39 percent of children between 12 and 23 months received all recommended vaccines.
The information is contained in its report published recently.
The report which was carried out between 2017 and 2021 by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organization (WHO), and other partners, noted that the children are susceptible to the diseases because they have not been able to complete their doses of vaccines or have not taken any at all.
Therefore, 64 per cent of them are still at risk of the following diseases: diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzae serotype b infection, hepatitis B, measles, meningitis, mumps, pertussis, poliomyelitis, rubella, tetanus, tuberculosis, and yellow fever.
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It further showed that the smallest proportions of children who did not receive any vaccinations are found in Enugu (1 per cent) and Ebonyi (0 per cent). The highest percentage is in Sokoto with 51 per cent.
The report noted that the benefits of vaccines are fully realised when children receive all recommended vaccine doses in a timely manner. It however stated that substantially, more children are fully vaccinated in the southern zones compared to northern zones.
Speaking during a two-day media dialogue with journalists on the MICS/NICS result in Port Harcourt, the UNICEF Chief for Data (M4R), Claes Johanson, said: “Political will plays a big part in the results of the survey. The result did not look good for some sectors and states. Therefore, taking actions should be a priority for the government. It is a government-owned survey. The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NHCDA), Dr Faisal Shuaib, has accepted the data.
“The survey is an international household survey designed to collect estimates on key indicators used to assess the situation of children and women on issues like health and nutrition, education, child welfare, etc. It is one of the largest MICS in the world, which includes interviews with 39,500 households with over 1,000 per state.”