Routine vaccination in Centre Region: Immunisation programme reveals decline in recorded figures.

According to the regional coordination, data from the first semester indicate a decrease in routine vaccination performance, which aims to protect against 15 serious diseases.

The diseases include tuberculosis, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, viral hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type B infections, poliomyelitis, measles, rubella, yellow fever, pneumococcal infections, rotavirus diarrhea, and human papillomavirus infection. 

The regional coordination regretted that despite widespread efforts by health teams, with vaccination services offered in over 4,700 health facilities across both urban and rural zones within the region, participation rates have decreased. It revealed that to address challenges in reaching all children, particularly those in remote areas, mobile vaccination strategies were deployed. 

These efforts, it noted, extended even into forested zones to access isolated children. 

Additionally, special campaigns were conducted under the global Big Catch-Up program. These initiatives successfully identified and provided vaccinations to over 59,000 zero-dose children, defined as those who had not received any previous vaccinations, and nearly 60,000 under-vaccinated children.

However, regional coordination continued that a comparison of routine vaccination performance between January and May 2025 and the corresponding period in 2024 revealed a downturn. 

This trend was observed for critical vaccines such as Pentavalent 3, which offers protection against five diseases, and the measles vaccine, RR1.

The regional coordinator of the Centre Region's EPI, Dr Brice Edzoa, attributed these lower performances partly to persistent rumours, resistance within certain communities, and a perceived lack of adequately tailored communication in some areas. 

Despite these challenges, Dr Edzoa noted that some public health messages are resonating with the population as there has been an increase in the uptake of the second dose of the measles-rubella vaccine, RR2.

In an effort to address these issues, the regional coordinator invited media professionals to an exchange session to discuss vaccination activities from the first semester. 

The media’s contribution was sought to help increase vaccination coverage and assist in reducing morbidity and mortality rates associated with vaccine-preventable diseases.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3505 of Wednesday July 16, 2025