Data from the Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey 2018 shows that 31% of children aged 12-23 months received all basic vaccinations. Indicating that only 3 out of every 10 children aged 12-23 months received all basic vaccinations. 7 out of 10 children have not received full vaccinations with some having received as low as just one vaccine. The data also showed that 19% of children aged 12-23 months are not vaccinated at all.
A review of the childhood vaccination trend of children aged 12-23 months in Nigeria revealed that in the past 15 years (2003-2018), there has been an improvement in the percentage of children that have received all basic vaccination or have been vaccinated at all. For instance, the percentage of children that have received all basic vaccinations increased from 13% in 2003 to 31% in 2018. Similarly, the percentage of children that have not received vaccination decreased from 27% in 2003 to 19% in 2018.
While this indicates a positive trend, Nigeria still has a lot to do in order to meet Sustainable Development Goal 3’s target of achieving more than 90% coverage of all basic vaccinations among children aged 12-23 months. Nigeria’s childhood vaccination coverage also falls short of Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) targets, putting a large number of children at risk of death and vaccine-preventable diseases in the future. When children are immunized, their immune system, the body’s germ-fighting machine, is able to produce antibodies that prevent them from contracting the disease if and when they are exposed to it.
Hepatitis B (Hep B) vaccine taken at birth and Oral Polio Vaccine 3 taken at 14 weeks were the least vaccines taken by the children. Hep B is a chronic disorder that is transmitted through blood and body fluids and can lead to long-term liver damage,liver cancer and cirrhosis of the liver after many years of carrying the virus. Polio or Poliomyelitis is a disabling and life threatening disease that is very contagious and spreads through stool and droplets from a sneeze or cough of an infected person causing total paralysis in a matter of hours and can lead to death.
As one of the most cost-effective public health initiatives, immunization coverage is one of the measures used to track progress toward lowering child morbidity and mortality. If a child has gotten one BCG vaccination, three DPT-HB-Hib vaccinations, four polio vaccinations, and one measles vaccination, he is said to have obtained complete basic immunization.
Reasons for Low Childhood Vaccine Coverage in Nigeria
Breakthrough Research highlights some reasons for low childhood vaccination rates, indicating that these reasons are complex and multi-faceted including spousal opposition, health services quality and vaccine concerns, which underscores the need for a whole system approach to raise vaccination rates from their currently very low levels. According to another research on the reasons for low vaccination rates, 42% of respondents lacked awareness either of the needed vaccines or the risks associated with non compliance, 25% stated issues with service delivery including far vaccination sites, 18% lacked time or had other family issues as they were either too busy or overwhelmed with other chores amongst other reasons.
Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2018 indicates that maternal education is another reason for low childhood vaccination rates as children whose mothers had more than a secondary school education were more likely than those whose mothers had no education to receive all basic vaccinations. These could partly be attributed to the fact that maternal education leads to improved literacy skills and health-seeking behaviour, which affects immunization uptake for their children as opposed to mothers with no education.
Insecurity in different states across Nigeria could also impact on access to vaccination for children. It has made the implementation of vaccination campaigns difficult as well as resulted in attrition of health care workers, destruction of healthcare facilities and displacement of people from their homes.
Insecurity has caused displaced families to live in overcrowded situations, such as IDP camps, where infectious diseases are easily spread and these displaced persons experience difficulties getting basic healthcare services such as immunizations that can help protect them and their children.
Speaking on what Nigeria needs to do to meet up with the Sustainable Development Goal 3’s and Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) targets, a Paediatrics Nurse Ms Ngozi Awele noted that education and awareness on the deadly consequences of avoiding childhood vaccinations given to parents by healthcare providers should be intensified. Also, there should be more programs that provide support to new parents and educate them on parenthood to avoid being overwhelmed as a result of inexperience.
She further said that the Government should ensure that healthcare facilities are easily accessible to parents as some parents complain that the immunization sites were too far for them to access.