Mr. Samila Shehu, a father of three and resident of Azare in Katagum Local Government Area of Bauchi State, has reversed his decision not to allow his children to be immunized following the death of an infant in his neighborhood.
Shehu, who admitted to being a non-compliant parent, told reporters in Azare on Tuesday that he was initially misinformed about the safety of vaccines.
According to him, the family’s repeated out-of-pocket health expenses could have been avoided if his children had received routine immunization.
“I had never vaccinated any of my three children because I was misinformed. I was told that vaccines could endanger their lives,” he said.
“The fact that my neighbor lost his child to diphtheria made me change my mind. We were told the child died because he was not vaccinated.”
Shehu added that the persistent illnesses of his own children also influenced his decision.
“We have spent so much on hospital bills because my children frequently fall sick,” he said.
He explained that his understanding of vaccination changed after sensitization by Fathers for Good Health (F4G), a community-based organization established by UNICEF.
F4G engages men to mobilize families and communities for childhood immunization as well as maternal and child health services.
