NIGERIA TOPS LIST OF COUNTRIES WITH UN-VACCINATED CHILDREN

Nigeria is among the top list of low and middle-income countries with the most children not receiving the first dose of measles vaccine between 2010 and 2017, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has said.

UNICEF stated that in low and middle-income countries, the situation is critical explaining that in 2017, nearly 4 million children missed out of vaccination in Nigeria followed by India, 2.9 million, Pakistan and Indonesia 1.2 million each and Ethiopia 1.1 million.

UNICEF revealed that an estimated 21.1 million children a year on average worldwide missed out on measles vaccine annually in the past eight years, creating a pathway to current global outbreaks.

UNICEF Executive Director, Henrietta Fore said, the ground for the global measles outbreaks they are witnessing today was laid years ago adding that the measles virus will always find unvaccinated children.

“If we are serious about averting the spread of this dangerous but preventable disease, we need to vaccinate every child, in rich and poor countries alike.”