The World Health Organisation’s Country Representative to Nigeria, Dr Walter Mulombo, said vaccines are safe and effective.
Mulombo said this on Friday in Abuja at the two-day capacity-building workshop for journalists focused on enhancing health reporting skills and increasing understanding of some global health issues.
He said before the WHO approves a vaccine, it reviews its efficacy through a rigorous process.
Recall that Nigeria would soon launch the malaria vaccine introduction into routine immunisation, and the country also introduced the single-dose Human Papillomavirus vaccine into its routine immunisation programme in October 2023.
“I want to say that vaccines are safe, and vaccines are effective. Before WHO gives the green light to distribute any vaccine, it goes through a very rigorous process by a body called the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Vaccines and Immunisation. They review all the evidence. The malaria vaccine that they have here is because that body created it.
“It was the same for HPV, like the others. If you need more information, we are the source of that information. If you need more evidence, we are the source of the evidence. So feel free, don’t be afraid to debunk misinformation. Access to universal vaccination is a human right. A mother dying while giving birth is a human rights violation because nobody should die as a result of giving birth. A child missing a vaccination is a human rights violation.
“Misinformation spread without verification is a human rights violation because we are preventing communities from getting access to the tools they need to survive. And by doing so, we contribute to the high maternal mortality ratio and child mortality ratio.”
The WHO country representative also emphasised the need for Nigeria to move beyond pilot projects and focus on delivering large-scale, high-quality healthcare services.
He called for a collective effort from both the government and communities to overcome the pressing challenges facing the health sector.
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