At the Nigerian Medical Association’s scientific conference in Ibadan, doctors cautioned parents and guardians against refusing life-saving vaccines for their children, emphasizing the crucial role of immunization in child survival.
They warned that failure to vaccinate children could result in fines and imprisonment, citing the Child Right Law in Oyo State and the Child Right Act in Nigeria.
The physicians attributed misinformation on social media for the public’s misconceptions about vaccines, highlighting child rights laws that hold parents and guardians accountable for ensuring children under two receive vaccinations.
Dr. Adeola Fowotade, a Clinical Virologist, expressed concern about the alarming spread of misinformation on vaccines, stressing their effectiveness in disease prevention.
Fowotade said, “Nigeria is a country that is plagued with infectious diseases. Good enough, some of these diseases are preventable by vaccination, and the available vaccines are not for children alone, but also adults. We have observed that people are showing apathy to the vaccines.
“Even adults do not want their children to get vaccinated and for adult vaccines, there is a low turnout of those taking the vaccines. The reason that is driving vaccines off-take is that there are a lot of myths associated with the vaccines. Those myths are true according to studies conducted by various organisations, including the World Health Organisation and others.’’
In his submission, the Dean Elect, Faculty of Public Health, University of Ibadan, Magbagbeola Dairo, who spoke on the subtheme: ‘’Combating Vaccine Hesitancy in Clinical and Public Health Settings’’ also warned that refusal to present children for vaccination attracted fines and imprisonment according to the Child Right Law in Oyo State and Child Right Act in Nigeria.
“Vaccines are effective and useful. They should take advantage of vaccines available in our facilities and that are being brought to schools. It is free and beneficial.
‘’The Child Right Law in Oyo State and Child Right Act in Nigeria have already stipulated that parents, guardians and those who have custody of children under two years have the responsibility to ensure full vaccination of those and those who fail to do so are liable to imprisonment or fine.
“So, we should not run afoul of the law. We must vaccinate our children. For those who are older, I am advocating that there should be a vaccination policy for access to government-provided benefits such as national immunisation, driver’s licence and entrance into higher institutions. Vaccination cards should be provided.
‘’It is to help the physician to know the strategies to be adopted in convincing the people to take advantage of vaccination. To show the advantages of vaccination. We must educate the healthcare providers,”
he noted.
NMA’s acting state Chairman, Happy Adedapo, cautioned against spreading misinformation and misconceptions about vaccines based on incomplete or inaccurate information obtained from social media.
