By Kemi Akintokun

Mrs Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, the Wife of Lagos State Governor, has urged parents to vaccinate their children against preventable childhood diseases to safeguard their health and future.

Sanwo-Olu gave the charge at the flag-off ceremony of the Lagos State Supplemental Immunisation Activities (SIA) held at the Ifako Ijaiye Local Government on Friday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the immunisation, which will commence in all 57 local government development agencies of the state on Oct. 19, is in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

NAN reports that 85 per cent of Lagos residents, from nine months to 44 years, is projected to receive yellow fever vaccine booster doses.

There will also be measles vaccine for children from nine months to 18 months.

Others are HPV vaccines against cervical cancer for females aged nine years to 14 years, and polio vaccine, among other routine immunisation.

Sanwo-Olu, represented by Mrs Victoria Olowu, Wife of the Senior Special Adviser on Mineral Resources to Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, appealed to parents and other adults to take advantage of the SIA to break the circle of preventable diseases.

“The health and well-being of our children, the youth and adults is a cause that touches the very heart of our society, and as a mother, I understand the importance of protecting our children from preventable diseases using a cost-effective approach.

“Every child has the right to an early start in life, and through vaccinations, we give them that right.

“Vaccines are one of the most effective tools we have to prevent the spread of life-threatening diseases such as measles, yellow fever.

“This vaccination we are embarking on is crucial for the prevention of contagious diseases such as measles, yellow fever, a viral hemorrhagic disease that has caused great pain to many families,” she said.

Sanwo-Olu said that the vaccination would significantly reduce mortality rates, which aligned with the state government’s development plan for 2050.

” I urge you to make the right decision for your children and yourselves by taking advantage of this opportunity,” she said.

She praised UNICEF, World Health Organization and others for working with the state government to curtail the outbreak of vaccine-preventable diseases.

Dr Abimbola Bowale, the Supervising Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Primary Healthcare Board (LSPHCB), said the state embarked on consultations to create more awareness and allay fears and myths associated vaccination.

“The flag-off of this massive vaccination is a pivotal event because it is about the future of our children and ensuring that the next generation lives a healthy life.

“We have spoken with various stakeholders such as school authorities, market leaders, religious leaders, the media to ensure that people benefit from this exercise that is free,” Bowale said.

He gave the assurance that all the vaccines were safe.

“We require that individuals, especially in the schools and in other congregations, sign an informed consent, giving us the right to administer these vaccines, and we are assuring them that these vaccines have very minimal side effects,” he said. (NAN)

Edited by Ijeoma Popoola