LAGOS, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- Lagos, the economic center of Nigeria, has added the rotavirus vaccine to its routine immunization (RI) program to protect children under the age of five from diarrhea, a local official said on Wednesday.
The introduction of the vaccine into the RI program was in recognition of the magnitude of rotavirus-related diarrhea disease in the state, said Taiwo Onoro, an immunization officer with the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board (LSPHCB), at a sensitization meeting on the introduction of rotavirus vaccination in Lagos.
The rotavirus vaccine is used to protect against rotavirus infections, which are the leading cause of severe diarrhea among young children.
Onoro said rotavirus causes 40 percent of diarrhea among children in Nigeria, adding that without proper treatment and care, children who get the disease could become dehydrated or hospitalized, which could even lead to death.
The official said the state would start a seven-day campaign next to get everyone vaccinated against rotavirus. "After the campaign, the rotavirus vaccine will be given along with other vaccines under the RI program available at all primary healthcare centers and private hospitals in the state," she said.
Segun Emuju, the state coordinator for the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, said at the same meeting that immunization was still the most cost-effective way to protect the public's health from rotavirus.
Adding the rotavirus vaccine to the RI program was very important, and it is expected to save the lives of over 110,000 children under the age of 5 over the next ten years in the state, Emuju said.
He asked parents and other caregivers to take advantage of the opportunity and make sure their kids are vaccinated against all diseases that can be prevented by vaccines.
