Fake immunization: UNICEF, Sokoto Govt seek journalists' support

 The United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) and Sokoto State Government have called on journalists to support efforts to combat fake finger marking and misreporting during the immunisation campaign.

At a Media Dialogue on Immunisation, the UNICEF Chief of Field Sokoto Office, Mr Micheal Juma, emphasised the importance of media in spreading information about immunisation.

He called on journalists to actively engage in highlighting the issues surrounding immunisation and its significance in public health.

Similarly, the Executive Secretary of the Sokoto State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (SSPHDA), Dr Larai Tambuwal, urged the media to play a key role in raising awareness.

She stressed that informed reporting could help drive positive change in communities and encourage greater participation in immunisation programmes.

Tambuwal expressed concern over the dishonest practices of some vaccinators, stating that they falsely recorded vaccinations without actually administering the vaccines.

She highlighted that such actions were undermining the integrity of immunisation records and putting children’s health at risk.

She highlighted that Sokoto State had the highest number of polio cases in 2023, with 68 reported cases, although the number dropped to 28 the following year, and currently only four cases were recorded.

She stressed the importance of continued efforts to ensure the state remained free from polio, noting that even a small number of cases could lead to a significant outbreak.

“The ongoing immunisation campaign, scheduled for April 26 to 29, will focus on house-to-house vaccination of children aged 0 to 59 months across 244 political wards, regardless of their previous immunisation status.”

Juma reiterated UNICEF’s commitment to supporting the state government in tackling immunisation challenges, emphasising the media’s crucial role in highlighting successes, tracking compliance, and engaging stakeholders.

He also called for increased investment in immunisation efforts and better logistical support to ensure success.

UNICEF Polio Specialists, Mesele Mindachew and Apriyanka Khann, provided insights into the challenges of misinformation and misconceptions surrounding immunisation, stressing that polio eradication was within reach with timely and accurate vaccination efforts.

The Special Adviser to Gov. Ahmad Aliyu on SSHCDA, Dr Bello Marnona, reiterated the government’s commitment to immunisation and encouraged the media to continue educating the public on its importance.

Newsmen reports that the journalists present at the meeting offered suggestions and shared experiences, with some advocating for the creation of laws to enforce immunisation and sanction violators.