Cross River State has recorded 90 percent success in the ongoing 2025 World Immunization Week in the 1037 primary healthcare facilities across the state.
World Immunization Week, celebrated in the last week of April, brings together a diverse and broad coalition of partners to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease..
-Under the banner, ‘Immunization for All is Humanly Possible’, World Immunization Week 2025 aims to ensure even more children, adolescents, adults, and their communities are protected against vaccine-preventable diseases.
The immunization took place in some healthcare facilities across the three senatorial districts, where pregnant women and caregivers turned out en masse with their babies as early as 8 am on a daily basis to receive doses of the vaccines against preventable diseases.
The Guardian also observed that all the vaccines for the exercise, including BCG against tuberculosis, OPV/IPV against polio, DPT against diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus, Hepatitis B at birth, 6, and 14 weeks. Measles a t 9 months ,Rotavirus: introduced into the schedule, given at 6, 10, and 14 weeks., Yellow fever at 9 months, Vitamin A at 9 and and 15 months and meningococcal vaccine (men5CV) to combat meningococcus C and W outbreaks were available in all the health centres including most of the hard-to-reach communities.
In the Southern Senatorial district, the caregivers who turned out in their numbers early in the morning at the Primary Healthcare Centre, Ekpo Abasi in Calabar South local government area, popularly called general hospital by the caregivers expressed gratitude to the the United Nation Children Fund UNICEF, Cross River State Government and other partners for making vaccines accessible to children, especially in underserved areas where access to routine immunizations might be limited.
One of the caregivers , Mrs Mirabel Essien who visited the facility with her twin babies for the immunization, applauded UNICEF for increasing immunization coverage which she observed has contributed to the overall health and well-being of the community, as fewer people are now at risk of vaccine-preventable diseases.
Another caregiver at the facility, Mrs Nkese Offiong praised UNICEF for providing not only vaccines for the exercise but also support to health workers,
communities, and governments, making it easier for parents to access and maintain vaccination programmes.
Officer in charge of Primary Healthcare Centre, Ekpo Abasi in Calabar South local government area, Mrs Patricia Ayine who spoke in an interview confirmed the availability of all the antigens but listed limited office space and other logistics as their major challenge.
In Calabar Municipality, the story was not different as most of the health centres also recorded large turn out of caregivers for the exercise. At the primary healthcare centre, Ediba Qua Town, Calabar, the Officer in Charge, Mrs Mary Eyo-Nsa attributed the impressive turnout to the role UNICEF and the state government played in educating parents about the importance of vaccines, dispelling misinformation, and encouraging them to protect their children through immunization.
Primary healthcare facilities in Boki and Abi local government areas in the Central senatorial district and Obanlikwu and Obudu local government areas in the northern senatorial district also recorded impressive turnout and adequate stock of all the vaccines.
The PHC director for Abi local government area, Mrs Christie Iwara, who confirmed this in an interview with The Guardian in Itigidi, the local government headquarters, thanked UNICEF, other development partners, and the state government for efforts to reach all children with vaccines, including those who were previously unvaccinated or under-vaccinated
Mrs Victoria Ndoma, a caregiver in the area, expressed gratitude to UNICEF for its vital work in immunization and for the crucial role it plays in ensuring that children have access to life-saving vaccines, contributing to a healthier and more thriving future for the community.
She, however, called for Nigeria to begin local vaccine production and increased funding for immunization programmes.
The State Immunization Officer, Charity Enya attributed the success to the Governor Bassey Otu-led administration’s significant investments in healthcare, including the procurement of vaccines, expansion of immunization programmes, and targeted outreach efforts, which she said have played a critical role in ensuring that no child is left unvaccinated in both urban and remote communities.
The State Immunization Officer also commended the tireless efforts of healthcare workers across the state, local government health teams, Development partners, Community-based organizations, Traditional and religious leaders, among others.
She acknowledged their unwavering dedication to improving immunization services and strengthening primary healthcare delivery at all levels.
