The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned health workers in Cross River State not to demand money from parents during immunisation of children against measles.
UNICEF Consultant in the state, Iyabo Ajibola, who handed down the warning, yesterday during the commencement of measles vaccination second dose immunisation in Calabar South, said it is not acceptable that health workers demand money because the Federal Government, UNICEF and other partners have made vaccines available free of charge.
She said: “It is important to say vaccination of measles second dose is free and no person should demand money from parents because the vaccine is free and it is safe. The disease is very dangerous and both the Federal Government and partners are conscious of this.
“Parents should be informed that the immunisation for the second dose of measles vaccine is free and no health worker should demand money from anybody during the routine exercise.”
She advised parents to bring out children who are between nine and 15 months for immunisation as the exercise would last for one week in the first instance and later followed routinely at the various health facilities.
Also, National Emergency Routine Immunisation Coordinator, Bassey Okposen, decried the rate at which children die of preventable diseases, appealing to parents to cooperate with the health workers so that their children are vaccinated against measles to avoid life-threatening diseases.
He disclosed that about 85 percent of the children are targeted for the second phase of the immunisation.
THE SUN, NIGERIA
