The Gombe State government has flagged off the administration of the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine in the state.
Speaking at the flag off of the program in Gombe on Saturday, the Executive Secretary, Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Ahmed Gana said that about 800,000 children under the age of five die from pneumococcal disease in developing countries annually, according to the World Health Organization, WHO.
He disclosed that in Nigeria alone, about 177,000 children under age five die from pneumonia yearly, accounting for 16 per cent of deaths within the age group.
“The introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in Nigeria will avert estimated 173,225 deaths. Immunization with PCV is a safe and effective means of protecting children against many strains of the pneumococcal disease, which will occur less frequently in immunized children,” he said.
Gana identified other ways of effectively preventing pneumococcal infection as hand washing, exclusive breast-feeding, reduction in indoor air pollution and zinc supplementation.
Speaking at the event, the Deputy Director of Immunization in the state , Mr. Musa Ibrahim Kuna, said that the new vaccine would be used in the routine immunization of babies from 6 weeks of birth -10weeks and up to 14 weeks.
Kuna explained that up to 1039 health workers from public and private clinics have been trained on the new vaccine which will be administered in the 11 Local Government Areas of the state.
He disclosed that Gombe was among the eight states selected by the National Primary Health Care Devolvement Agency in collaboration with some other partners for participation in the program.
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