From Segun Ayinde, Abeokuta
United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, yesterday cautioned parents and guardians against the dangers of engaging auxiliary nurses or unregistered medical practitioners to treat their children after reacting to vaccinations.
The Social and Behaviour Change Specialist, UNICEF, Mrs Aderonke Akinola-Akinwole gave this warning at a Social and Behavioral Change Committee, SBCC, meeting at the governor’s office in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Akinola-Akinwole, who warned parents and guardians of the health risks involved in engaging unregistered medical practitioners to treat their children, urged them to seek a registered health facility for the proper treatment of their wards.
She expressed confidence that the HPV+ vaccine is effective for children, while calling on parents, neighbours, community and religious centers, to allow their wards receive vaccinations to protect them against diseases.
“Let me first reiterate that HPV+ vaccine is safe and effective and like you said there could be but not in all cases that there is a reaction. But in case there is a reaction that parents are not comfortable with, we want to encourage them to go back to the facility where that vaccine was given, it will treat them free of charge.
“However this is very rare and the vaccine is free, safe and effective, so they should just go back to the facility, they should not try to seek help themselves.
“They should not seek help that is not within the medical center, accessing medical help that is not within the medical facility endangers the life of a child, so it it is important that they go back to that facility,” Akinola-Akinwole said.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alhaji Waheed Adesina called on stakeholders at the meeting to enlighten and reshape the mindset of parents and members of the community on certain behavioral change, particularly the vaccination of their children.
