Gombe father submits son for measles vaccination after evading immunisation in school

Gombe father submits son for measles vaccination after evading immunisation in school

Delaying or refusing some or all vaccines for your child puts their health and life at risk, this is an old message that is rapidly being understood in Gombe State especially with the impressive turnout of parents bringing their children to participate in the ongoing 2025 Integrated Measles–Rubella and Polio Campaign, amongst whom is Malam Abdulkarim Bello.

Bello, a father of eight children, on Tuesday rode his nine-year-old son on his commercial motorcycle to Bolari West Primary HealthCare Centre to supervise his immunisation against measles.

Our Correspondent reports that the boy who ran away from school to evade taking the vaccine being administered to his colleagues by Community Health Workers who came to his school in Bolari West, was made to take the vaccine under the watchful eyes of his father.

Bello, a motorcyclist in Gombe said he came home to have a rest having worked for hours to earn some income to take care of his household, only to meet his son who left home earlier for school.

On probing the child, knowing full well that the school was yet to close for the day, “ I learnt that he ran away from school just to evade taking the vaccine.

“ I had to suspend my job and bring him here (to Bolari PHC) to get him vaccinated under my supervision.

“I am doing this because I don’t want to see him sick, I heard over the radio that the vaccine is available and good for them, that’s why I brought him.

“I brought him because his running away from school is like running away from what will protect him.

“As his father, I have the right to ensure that he is healthy because his elderly ones had also taken the vaccine,” he said.

He said with the damage that measles and other children-related illnesses had done to children, “I will not allow my son to reject the vaccine that should protect him against such life-threatening illness.”

Bello urged parents, particularly fathers to support the exercise by bringing their children out for vaccination as a way of protecting them from childhood killer diseases.

Bello’s conviction about the relevance of vaccines in improving the health of his children, has highlighted the positive role of the media in efforts at boosting the health of children in the state while reducing infant mortality.

Gombe father submits son for measles vaccination after evading immunisation in school