In view of growing outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, the United Nations Children’s Fund says it will inaugurate a new global campaign from April 24 to 30.
The campaign, according to the organisation, is to emphasise the power and safety of vaccines among parents and wider social media users.
Mr Robin Nandy, UNICEF’s Chief of Immunization. said this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja.
He said that the campaign would go alongside World Immunization Week from April 24 to 30.
The campaign tagged #VaccinesWork, according to Nandy, will spread the message that collaboration with communities, including parents can protect everyone through vaccines.
Nandy noted that UNICEF will use social media in its campaign to show that most parents trust vaccines to protect their children.
According to him, vaccines save up to 3 million lives yearly, protecting children from potentially deadly, highly infectious diseases such as measles, pneumonia, cholera and diphtheria.
Nandy further noted that fewer people died from measles between 2000 and 2017, adding that polio is on the verge of being eradicated.
“This year, UNICEF is partnering with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Health Organization, and Global Alliance for Vaccines and the Vaccine Alliance to encourage even greater reach.
“The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will contribute USD$1 to UNICEF for every like or share of social media posts using the hashtag #VaccinesWork this month up to USD$1 million, to ensure all children get the life-saving vaccines they need.
“Vaccines are one of the most cost-effective health tool ever invented – every USD$1 spent on childhood immunization returns up to USD$44 in benefits.
“We want the awareness that #VaccinesWork to go viral.
“Vaccines are safe and they save lives. This campaign is an opportunity to show the world that social media can be a powerful force for change and provide parents with trustworthy information on vaccines,” Nancy said.
