Immunization is a method of preventing dangerous illnesses. Our bodies are better equipped to combat these infections if we come into contact with them after immunization.
You are injected with a virus that has been weakened (or a portion of it) when you receive a vaccination. This sets off your body’s immune response, which either causes it to develop antibodies to that specific disease or to instigate other processes that boost immunity.
Nigeria has reaped enormous benefits from immunization efforts. The societal advantages of vaccinations include a reduction in child mortality and a reduction in medical costs, among other things.
How does immunization work?
The effects of each immunization are the same. The immunization boosts your immune system’s ability to fight off infections before you even come into contact with them. In other words, it is similar to having the condition but not showing any symptoms.
If you come into contact with an infection, your body will strive to prevent you from contracting the illness, or you may only experience a minor case. Contrary to alternative immunization methods that have been suggested (such as homeopathy), vaccines have undergone extensive testing to show that they are both safe and efficient at preventing infectious disease.
Importance of Immunization in Nigeria
1. Your family may save time and money by getting immunized
A child who has a condition that is preventable by vaccination may not be allowed to attend daycare or school. Some diseases that can be prevented by vaccination might cause long-term disabilities and cost a lot of money because of lost wages at work, hospital expenses, or long-term disability care. Contrarily, getting protected from these diseases by vaccination is a wise expenditure that is typically covered by insurance.
2. Future generations will be protected through immunization
Many diseases that killed or seriously incapacitated people just a few generations ago have been minimized and, in some cases, eliminated because of vaccinations. For instance, immunization against smallpox led to its global eradication. Because the disease has been eradicated, your children are no longer required to receive smallpox vaccinations.
The likelihood that pregnant women would transmit rubella (German measles) virus to their fetus or newborn has been significantly reduced by immunizing children against this disease, and birth abnormalities linked to that virus are no longer prevalent in the United States. Parents in the future may be able to trust that some diseases of today won’t be around to afflict their children in the future if we continue immunizing now and completely.
3. Reduced child mortality
Since its introduction, immunization has significantly decreased baby and child death rates from diseases that can be prevented by vaccines in Nigeria. Around fifty years ago, newborns and young children were badly affected by illnesses like measles, poliovirus, whooping cough, monkey box, tetanus, chickenpox, typhoid fever, Haemophilus influenzae type B, and meningitis, among others, which typically resulted in death.
Infant and child death rates from diseases that can be prevented by vaccination have significantly decreased in Nigeria since the introduction of vaccines and the following rise in immunization coverage rates throughout time. Every year, vaccinations prevent almost 4 million deaths around the world.
4. A Marked increase in productivity
Parents and guardians may have to take time off from work or their enterprises to care for young children who are afflicted by diseases including whooping cough, typhoid fever, hepatitis B, measles, monkey box, meningitis, diphtheria, and poliovirus, among others that can be prevented by vaccination. These illnesses also place a financial strain on the parents of infants and kids who are affected.
As a result, as these diseases are prevented by vaccination and continue to decline in Nigeria due to immunization, the community benefits since parents are not prohibited from working or operating their businesses, which helps Nigeria’s economy thrive, produce more goods, and raise taxes.
5. Immunizations are extremely effective and safe
Only after a thorough and extended evaluation by scientists, physicians, and other healthcare professionals are vaccines administered to children. In contrast to the pain, discomfort, and trauma of the diseases these vaccines are intended to prevent, the discomfort associated with vaccinations—which may include pain, redness, or tenderness at the injection site—is minor. Serious adverse reactions to vaccinations, like life-threatening allergic reactions, are extremely uncommon.
For almost all children, the advantages of receiving vaccinations in terms of disease prevention outweigh the potential risks.
6. Helps to reduce poverty
The poor and economically marginalized people typically suffer the most from diseases because of their lack of financial resources. Preventable diseases that typically cause suffering to people, families, and societies include tetanus, poliovirus, whooping cough, measles, and Haemophilus influenzae type B.
The socioeconomic status of a person is not a factor in vaccination programs in Nigeria. Therefore, these immunization campaigns across Nigeria make sure that all children, including those from low-income families, receive vaccinations against diseases that could cause them severe suffering. Therefore, economically poor groups and groups from disadvantaged backgrounds can maintain income because their children don’t have diseases. Consequently, lowering the cost of treating illnesses involves removing a significant barrier to overcoming poverty.
7. Improved life expectancy
Before vaccination, measles, monkeypox, typhoid fever, Haemophilus influenza type B, tetanus, whooping cough, poliovirus, and other illnesses caused suffering and even death in children and families in Nigeria. Because of Nigeria’s outstanding progress in immunization, the number of children dying from diseases that can be prevented by vaccination has significantly decreased, significantly raising the population’s life expectancy.
8. Improved prenatal health
Nigeria’s expanding immunization efforts mean mothers and expectant women can now take advantage of maternal care services. Women can benefit from immunizations such as the Rubella vaccination, which guards against an infection that can result in miscarriage, stillbirth, and birth abnormalities in the unborn child. In addition, HPV vaccinations are believed to shield women from developing cervical cancer.
9. More children can receive education
Infants and children will be healthy enough to go to school more frequently and learn more if they are immunized against diseases that can be prevented by vaccination, such as poliovirus, tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, measles, and meningitis. Children’s cognitive development, physical strength, and success in school are all aided by the absence of certain vaccine-preventable diseases.
10. Guarantees Equity
Immunization is to provide access to lifelong protection for all newborns and children, regardless of their gender, race, tribe, religion, or socioeconomic status. The vaccine interventions are always reasonably priced and occasionally even free, which lowers social inequality.
11. Health care facilities can spend their more on other pressing needs
Nigeria’s health system always gets stronger as immunization delivery services continue to expand their reach across the nation, and vice versa. Immunization reduces the misery and associated difficulties brought on by diseases like measles, monkeypox, poliovirus, and whooping cough, to name a few, which can be prevented by vaccination. As a result, Nigeria’s health system is spared the enormous expense of treating the population’s exposure to these diseases that can be prevented through vaccination.
Interventions in immunization delivery have benefits for Nigeria’s public health system as well, since they can be used to reach out to populations that are typically difficult to contact. Additionally, immunization campaigns give parents the opportunity to connect with public health services more frequently.
12. Improved Tourism potential
In Nigeria, vaccination campaigns have had some success since there are far fewer outbreaks of diseases that can be prevented. Nigeria has earned a reputation for being free of these diseases as a result of the immunization programs’ success in reducing the frequency of outbreaks of diseases including measles, hepatitis B, poliovirus, whooping cough, meningitis, and monkeypox.
Therefore, both tourists and investors can rest assured that it is unlikely that any of the aforementioned diseases will spread. Therefore, the effectiveness of immunization programs in Nigeria increases foreign exchange through tourism and international trade.
Facts about immunization
1. Vaccines are as crucial to your general health as a healthy diet and regular exercise.
2. Immunization can make a life-or-death difference.
3. Vaccines are safe
4. The diseases that vaccines are meant to prevent cannot be brought on by them.
5. It is difficult to contract the disease through a vaccine because they contain viruses that have been killed or weakened.
6. Even young, healthy individuals can become seriously ill if not immunized
7. Curing an illness is more expensive that vaccines
8. Your children, grandchildren, and parents could all be at risk if you become ill.
9. Your coworkers and family depend on you, so get vaccinated
Author
Abbey Johnson has a Masters degree as an engineer and has over 3 years of teaching and research experience. He is happiest when on a bike and is also interested in electric energy and computer Science.