Niger State Commissioner for Health, Dr Murtala Bagana has called for the enforcement of legal sanctions against parents and guardians who refuse to vaccinate their children.
This warning is coming on the heels of rhe record of 17 people having died of diphtheria in that state as the Commissioner warns that such negligence endangers entire communities through preventable disease outbreaks.
Citing the Child Rights Act, which makes vaccination a constitutional responsibility of caregivers while failure to comply attracts a fine or a jail term of up to six months, the Commissioner stressed that non-compliance undermines herd immunity and places vaccinated and unvaccinated children alike at risk.
“If I have my way, I’m going to arrest some of these parents. We have lost Nigerlite kids for something that is preventable. Even one Nigerlite, one child, means a lot to us,” he said.
Bagana linked the problem directly to recent cases where a man with six children resisted vaccination efforts until authorities intervened.
“Something that is happening in the household of Mr. A can affect other households. You owe responsibility to the community. Even if you are refusing, you are putting the risk of other children around that community. You are putting their life at risk,” the commissioner stated.
He urged the media to monitor and name such individuals, noting that communities in the South-East have successfully pressured non-compliant parents to leave rather than endanger others.
The remarks came against a backdrop of vaccine-preventable diseases still claiming young lives in the state.
