The Federal Government on Monday, flagged off rotavirus vaccine in Nigeria’s Routine Immunization Schedule and this year’s African Vaccination Week.
The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, represented by Director, Public Health Department, Morenike Alex-Okoh, said the introduction of rotavirus vaccine in Nigeria would directly avert over 110,000 deaths in children under five in the next 10 years.
He said the government, with the support of donors and partners, especially GAVI, had spent huge amounts to provide routine immunization vaccines for children.
He enjoined parents and caregivers to ensure their children are vaccinated against all vaccine-preventable diseases.
Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Faisal Shuaib, said approximately 50,000 deaths occurred in children under five years in Nigeria as a result of rotavirus infection.
He said the introduction of rotavirus vaccine was a big investment due to its substantial economic impact and the number of lives Nigeria was going to save from it.
He said the vaccine would be given orally and administered concurrently with the existing routine immunization vaccines at six weeks, 10 weeks and 14 weeks respectively.
Nigeria Country Representative, World Health Organisation, Walter Kazadi Mulombo, said the public health impact of rotavirus vaccine introduction had been demonstrated in several countries with as much as 50 percent deaths from diarrheal diseases averted in some.
Rotavirus is a highly contagious virus that causes severe diarrhoeal disease amongst infants and children all over the world. It is the most frequent cause of severe diarrhoea in children, accounting for about 215, 000 deaths of the global 525,000 under-5 mortality attributed to diarrhoeal diseases each year More than 90% of these deaths occur in developing countries, including Nigeria.