Shehu of Dikwa encourages caregivers to allow their kids to be vaccinated, persuading formerly mistrusting mothers that immunisation is vital for their children’s wellbeing.

There might have been widespread mistrust in the past, but parents, wards and caregivers are taking no chances and have fully endorsed a polio immunisation campaign being rolled out in Borno State.

They have responded – in their numbers – allowing their children to be vaccinated.

The Borno State government, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other international humanitarian partners, began the vaccination drive in the Dikwa and Damboa local government areas on Sunday, December 1 and have spent this week rounding up children for immunisation.

His Royal Highness Alhaji Ibrahim Ibn Umar Ibrahim Elkanemi, the Shehu of Dikwa, flagged off the campaign in the Cingo Zarmaye community in Dikwa town.

Queues of people – with children in tow or in their arms – responded to his call for residents to allow their kids to be vaccinated.

He told those present that polio was a preventable disease but only through vaccination and immunisation.

“That is why it is imperative for infants and children to be vaccinated,” he said.

He urged district heads, community leaders, heads of organisations, religious groups, individuals and families to “play a vital role” in mobilising all caregivers to participate in the campaign to protect their children from the harmful effects of polio.

The primary healthcare department in Dikwa said caregivers had responded well and, unlike in the past when there was widespread mistrust of vaccinations, they had brought their children to be immunised.

“The response has been greater than what we had hoped for,” a healthcare worker said. “Caregivers trust the Shehu and they are happy to allow their children to be vaccinated. It is a far cry from the past when very few people responded and usually they did so only if incentivised – with sweets, milk, food items. But now, the immunisation drive is continuing across the council.”

Mallam Gado Bulama, the supervisor of the Borno State Primary Health Care Development Board, said that caregivers from all communities in Dikwa were cooperating with medical staff and the immunisation campaign was being well supported.

Ya Zara Bukar conceded that in the past she was vehemently opposed to vaccination campaigns and did not allow health workers near her children.

“I was totally against any kinds of vaccination and I always resisted. I spent lots of time arguing with healthcare workers and never allowed them to vaccinate my children. Sometimes they would offer food tokens or packs of sweets to try to get us to change our mind. But even that did not work.

“I started taking it more seriously when traditional rulers, community leaders, elders and other advisers held awareness events and told us about the benefits of having children immunised. When I heard about the risks involved and saw that they trusted the vaccines, I slowly changed my mind.

“Now four of my children have been vaccinated against polio. They did not even have to offer incentives. Once I learnt the truth about immunisation I was convinced of their value.”

Fatima Bukar is another mother who changed her mind about vaccines.

“I was firmly against immunisation in the past. But then I attended public awareness events. I realised I really didn’t understand what the vaccines were for. I realised it was ignorance that was stopping me from allowing my children to be vaccinated. Just because I did not understand it, I was against it.

“Now I know that the vaccines are important for my children’s wellbeing and that if they are not vaccinated, they might become very ill and might even die. All three of my children are now vaccinated and if new drugs come on the market, I will continue to allow them to be vaccinated.”

Maryam Mohammed, a healthcare worker in Damboa told RNI that the campaign started about five days ago and community members were cooperating well.

“The level of acceptability has increased among parents, wards and caregivers. We conducted many public awareness events emphasising the importance of children being immunised against polio. Traditional rulers, community leaders, the director of the primary healthcare department of Damboa and other key stakeholders also urged the public to participate in the campaign.

“In the past, it was a challenge to get parents and caregivers to accept the vaccine. People were mistrustful and they were not fully aware of the danger of polio, which is a highly infectious disease. But now, everyone is responding well and we hope to continue and finish the campaign without any challenges.”

Ya Ngwali, who lives in Damboa, said this round of immunisation appeared to be going well.

“In the past, we used to resist and fight against having our children vaccinated. But now we are more aware and most people here support the campaign.

“I changed my mind about immunisation of all diseases – such as polio, measles and chicken pox – about 15 years ago. All my children were vaccinated and they never fell ill with any terrible disease. That proved to me that immunisation is extremely important for our children’s wellbeing.”

Aisha Lawan told RNI that at first she did not believe vaccinations would prevent diseases such as polio and measles.

“But when traditional rulers, community leaders and local government authorities started sharing their knowledge and encouraging people to immunise their children, I took notice. Now I am convinced immunisation not only works but it is the best for every child. No one wants to see their child suffer or die.”

The Borno State government decided to implement the polio immunisation drive after a single case of wild poliovirus was detected in the state in August, almost four years after the country was declared free of the disease.

Professor Baba Malam-Gana, the state’s Commissioner of Health and Human Services, said at the time a case had been found. It was identified through a laboratory test of a sewage water sample, not from a human being.

“So, people should not be panicked because the reported case was not a human-borne outbreak.”

He said Borno State was not alone in experiencing isolated wild poliovirus cases and that similar incidents had occurred in other parts of Nigeria.

The World Health Organisation said polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus that invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours.

The virus is transmitted person-to-person. Initial symptoms are fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness of the neck and pain in the limbs.

One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis (usually in the legs). Among those paralysed, 5% to 10% die when their breathing muscles become immobilised.

There is no cure for polio, it can only be prevented. The polio vaccine can protect a child for life.

SHETTIMA LAWAN MONGUNO