There is growing recognition for the integration of services such as routine immunization as the way forward for vaccination against covid- 19, said the Bole District Director of Health, Hajia Ndapewurche Fuseina Sulemana.
The District Director of Health made this known during a stakeholders meeting held on covid- 19 vaccination, routine immunization and risk communication.
Routine Immunization plays a vital role in health service delivery in the District and the country at large.
The Immunization agenda emphasizes the importance of embedding immunisation services within health care delivery as the basis for achieving both high vaccination coverage and universal health care.
As a well-established point of contact with most of the population: families and communities, vaccination services can be an entry point for the delivery of more essential services and contribute to improvements in access.
Speaking to Yagbon News in an interview, she said integration of COVID-19 vaccination into routine immunisation services was the way to go.
“Integrating COVID-19 vaccination into routine immunization is a strategic approach to achieving broader vaccination coverage and public health goals,” he said.
The implementation of the intervention, according to her, would increase accessibility and convenience because routine immunisation programmes were already well established in the District.
She further stated that, “Integrating COVID-19 vaccines into these existing routine health service delivery in our facilities will make it easier for people to access vaccinations, especially those living in remote or underserved areas within the District.”
The District Health Director noted that the integration of the COVID-19 vaccination into routine immunization would also help the District health service delivery to reach the populace to address their fears and mistrust of the vaccines.
It would also maximize vaccination coverage due to routine immunisation already designed to reach a large proportion of the population, including infants, children, adolescents, and adults, she submitted.
“By incorporating COVID-19 vaccines into these, the coverage can be expanded to include all eligible age groups, contributing to achieving herd immunity more effectively in the District ” she said.
She reiterated the need for all stakeholders to support vaccination campaigns against COVID-19.
She said achieving herd immunity in the fight against the global pandemic was a collective responsibility of all citizens.
Herd immunity occurs when a large portion of a community (the herd) becomes immune to a disease.
The spread of disease from person to person becomes unlikely when herd immunity is achieved.
As a result, the whole community becomes protected — not just those who are immune.
Source: yagbonradioonline
