UNICEF Calls on Media to Combat Immunisation Myths

• UNICEF urged Nigerian media to adopt innovative strategies to combat vaccine hesitancy driven by myths and misinformation in communities
• The organization emphasized the importance of vaccinations in protecting children from preventable diseases, targeting over two million at risk

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has urged media outlets to adopt innovative strategies to raise awareness and dispel misconceptions about immunisation, particularly in Nigerian communities.

In the Southwest region, vaccine hesitancy has been driven by myths, cultural beliefs, and misinformation, especially regarding childhood vaccines.

According to the 2022 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) by the National Bureau of Statistics, polio vaccination rates in the area remain alarmingly low.

At a media dialogue held in Lagos, journalists from various platforms gathered as UNICEF stressed the importance of vaccinations. They highlighted that vaccines are safe, simple, and effective to protect children from harmful diseases and preventable deaths.

The event, organised by the Lagos State Primary Healthcare Board in partnership with UNICEF, aimed to support the health sector’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This initiative targets over two million Nigerian children who are at risk of dying due to a lack of immunisation.

The dialogue’s primary goal was to promote routine immunisation, ensuring every child receives vaccinations.

UNICEF’s Social Behaviour Change Communication Specialist, Aderonke Akinola Akinwole, called on media professionals and other stakeholders to find creative ways to raise community awareness, correct misinformation, and encourage parents to vaccinate their children.

Akinwole emphasized that public acceptance of vaccines is crucial to protect children from life-threatening diseases such as polio, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, and measles.