Nigeria has launched a malaria vaccination program aimed at reducing the devastating impact of malaria, which claims around 200,000 lives annually.
The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies Nigeria as the country most severely affected by the mosquito-borne disease and has supported swift action to address the crisis.
The vaccination schedule, following a pilot in Kebbi (North) and Bayelsa (South), targets infants, with the first dose administered at five months. One of the initial areas for the rollout is Bayelsa State, known for its high malaria prevalence.
Bayelsa State Commissioner for Health, Professor Seiyefa Brisibe, highlighted the gravity of the issue:
“It accounts for about 30 per cent of deaths in children under five, and it also accounts for a good number of reasons why adults, both mothers and fathers, stay out of a job.”
Despite early successes in Bayelsa, the commissioner noted challenges, including vaccine misconceptions and misinformation, such as claims that vaccines cause infertility.
“Religious leaders, some religious sects do not believe that people need to take vaccines, so that penetrates to society,” he said.
The R21 vaccine, developed by scientists at the University of Oxford, was produced by the Serum Institute of India and Novavax.