As part of the African Vaccination and Child Health Promotion Week celebrations, the Upper East Regional Director of Health, Dr. Braimah Baba Abubakari, has called on nursing mothers to prioritize their children’s immunizations and ensure they complete the full 18-month mandatory vaccination schedule.
In an exclusive interview with the Vaultz News, he emphasized the critical importance of each stage of vaccination, highlighting that it plays a vital role in protecting children from early childhood illnesses that can lead to long-term health issues or even short-term complications.
Dr. Abubakari cautioned nursing mothers about the serious health risks associated with neglecting child vaccinations. He urged them to take full advantage of the Africa Vaccination Week to visit the nearest health facilities and have their children immunized.
“We are celebrating both child health promotion and then we are also observing the African Vaccination Week. So, the African vaccination week is just to educate and advocate for the vaccination of children, and the importance of vaccination of children who might have missed certain vaccines. Because currently we are providing routine vaccinations for about 13 different conditions.”
Dr. Braimah Baba Abubakari
Despite the critical importance of vaccination, the Director noted that it is often the case that some children miss certain doses.
He warned that this trend poses serious health risks to the child and stressed the need for a deliberate change in the attitude of mothers to ensure this essential health requirement is fully met.
“We always have situations where some children miss out on their vaccines; you pick their vaccination card, and realize that vaccines were missed. In any society that we are vaccinating, if you don’t achieve what we call herd immunity, then you are not safe.”
Dr. Braimah Baba Abubakari
According to him, herd immunity means that for any given condition, there is a specific percentage of the population that must be vaccinated.
Once the majority reaches this threshold, even if one person contracts the disease, they are unlikely to spread it to others within the vaccinated community.
Child Immunization, Key to Future Health
Furthermore, Dr. Braimah Baba Abubakari emphasized the need for a deliberate effort by stakeholders, health practitioners, and partners to increase awareness about the health benefits of vaccination for children and their families.
He also stressed the importance of involving community leaders and chiefs to lend their voices, ensuring that no child loses their life due to complications arising from vaccination.
“So, we take the opportunity to campaign to raise awareness in schools, in markets, and in any avenue that you think you will have the opportunity to get mothers and children, so that whatever they miss out on during vaccination, we are able to do that.”
Dr. Braimah Baba Abubakari
He further explained that it is their plan to conduct mini campaigns in various health facilities across the region, and if necessary, they are fully prepared to carry out home visits to ensure the vaccination targets are achieved.
In alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3, which aims to achieve “Good health and well-being” by 2030, he stressed the importance of reaching the majority of unvaccinated children to enhance the health of future generations.
He noted that the Child Health Promotion Week is timely, as it creates an opportunity to broaden the conversation around how mothers can better care for their children — from the type of food they provide to ensuring it is nutritionally balanced.
Dr. Abubakari also refuted the lingering belief among some mothers that a few early vaccines are sufficient if their child appears healthy.
He emphasized that all the scheduled vaccines are critical to ensuring a child’s continued health and safety as they grow.
Meanwhile, addressing why some parents do not vaccinate their children, he stated that ignorance remains a major factor behind their reluctance. This, he said, has motivated his office to intensify education on the importance and relevance of vaccines.
He further pointed out that, in some cases, parents intentionally avoid or skip vaccinating their children for reasons known only to them.
For this reason, he emphasized the need for collective efforts to dispel such long-standing myths that have prevented many children from receiving essential vaccinations.
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