Vaccines Remain Effective Across Generations, Provided We Participate

Confessionally, I once mirrored the anxious parent, gripping my child’s hand too tightly at the clinic, not out of fear of the needle, but due to persistent narratives. Whispers, warnings, and doubts about introducing something artificial into a healthy body via vaccination created more unease than the procedure itself.

Fear, I've come to realise, possesses a distinct geography. In Nigeria, this landscape is extensive and varied. It's palpable in the narrow alleys of Makoko, where a mother cannot afford to miss a day of fish trading for clinic visits. It resides in the arid regions of Borno, where a father’s faith in government institutions has been eroded by a history of more conflict than healthcare. It even infiltrates the climate-controlled living rooms of Lagos, where educated parents engage in spirited debates about the ethical considerations of the HPV vaccine over refreshments.

This complex reality sets the stage for World Immunisation Week, celebrated annually from April 24 to April 30. The global theme for this year, “For every generation, vaccines work,” is more than just a slogan; it's a profound statement that the same intervention protecting your grandfather from smallpox also safeguards your newborn from rotavirus. It serves as a constant reminder that immunity's value endures, unaffected by time or trends, passing from one person to another, from one decade to the next, akin to a vital torch relay.

Consider this statistic, which should be cause for serious concern: the World Health Organisation estimates that one in every five Nigerian children is still deprived of essential routine immunisation. This is not merely a number; it represents a child in Kaduna who might not reach their fifth birthday due to measles, or a baby girl in Ebonyi who contracts polio even as the nation celebrates its eradication.

We have achieved remarkable milestones, including Nigeria's declaration of wild poliovirus eradication in 2020, a triumph that necessitated immense efforts from community volunteers trekking to remote settlements. However, eliminating a virus is only the first step; sustained vigilance is crucial to prevent its resurgence. This requires ensuring that no child remains outside the protective shield of vaccination, as vaccines are most effective when fully embraced.

This is where individual commitment becomes paramount. However, it's important to approach this concept with nuance. Personal responsibility should not translate into blaming a struggling mother who journeys long distances to a clinic only to find supplies unavailable. Instead, it involves acknowledging that immunisation is a unique public health measure where individual participation directly contributes to the well-being of the entire community. The theme “for every generation” underscores that collective action is driven by individual choices.

When you ensure your child receives vital vaccines such as BCG for tuberculosis, the pentavalent vaccine for diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, and Hib, the oral polio vaccine, the measles vaccine, and the recently introduced malaria vaccine in select states, you are extending protection beyond your immediate family. You are diminishing the prevalence of infectious diseases within your community. You are creating a safer environment for children undergoing cancer treatment who cannot be vaccinated, and you are protecting pregnant women living nearby. This collective action demonstrates that vaccines are not just theoretical but a practical, life-saving reality, a concept known as herd immunity, which is essentially neighbourly care in action.

While personal responsibility is key, we must also address the issue of accessibility. The federal government, through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, has made strides in expanding the e-Tracker system, an electronic routine immunisation tracking mechanism now operational in over 12,000 health facilities. The Gavi Alliance has pledged significant financial support for vaccine cold chain infrastructure in rural areas, recognising that compromised cold chains render vaccines ineffective. Even the private sector is contributing, with telecommunications companies providing free vaccination reminders to registered phone users in relevant catchment areas. These are not minor achievements; they form the essential framework that enables personal responsibility to translate into tangible outcomes.

Despite these advancements, the most critical work remains at the human level. Consider the dedicated community health extension worker in a rural setting who has consistently conducted monthly outreach sessions for over a decade. Aboard her red motorcycle, cooler box in tow, she navigates challenging terrain and weather. Yet, she identifies her most difficult task not as the journey or the climate, but the conversations she has. She patiently sits with grandmothers in their compounds, listening intently to rumours heard on the radio about vaccines causing infertility. Rather than engaging in arguments, she shares personal stories, points to her own healthy, vaccinated children, and meticulously shows the vaccination record card.

This embodies the spirit of World Immunisation Week 2026 in Nigeria. It transcends mere government campaigns, celebrity endorsements, or hashtag activism. It is found in the quiet moments of decision-making, away from the public eye. It is a father reading the health pamphlets his daughter brought home and deciding to take his family for vaccinations. It is a young woman discussing vaccination plans with her fiancé, making it a shared priority. It is a teacher gently approaching parents about a child's missed rotavirus vaccination. Each of these actions affirms the week's theme: for every generation, vaccines work, but only if each generation actively participates.

As a parent or guardian reading this, I urge you to take a specific action this week. Locate your child's immunisation card. Not a digital record, but the physical card with official stamps. Review the dates. If the second dose of the measles vaccine, the yellow fever vaccine, or the meningitis A vaccine is missing, make an immediate trip to your nearest primary health centre. Do not delay; go tomorrow.

If you are not a parent, consider a child in your extended family, religious community, or social circle whose vaccinations might be incomplete. Offer to accompany them to the clinic. This is not an intrusion but an act of love, a practical way to make a global theme resonate on a local level.

Nigeria faces undeniable challenges, from economic pressures to security concerns, making the daily struggle for survival incredibly taxing. Adding 'checking immunisation status' to an already overwhelming list might seem burdensome. However, the profound truth embedded in each vaccine is its capacity to give back more than it requires. A brief period of discomfort for a child, a small pinch, yields the gift of a lifetime. The effort of a single clinic visit contributes to a nation where children can attend school free from the specter of preventable diseases that should have long been history. This is the true meaning of "for every generation" – an unbroken chain of protection encompassing grandparents, parents, children, and future descendants.

While World Immunisation Week concludes this Thursday, its significance endures. It is sustained by the cold chain, the community health worker's essential equipment, the poignant memories of mothers who have lost children, and the quiet decisions made when no one is observing. Choose immunisation. Choose to be part of the generation that validates this year's theme.

Sylvester Ojenagbon, a health communication expert and certified management trainer, resides in Lagos.