Dr Lucian Olorigbe, the Chief Medical Director of Unity Hospital Benin, Edo, has advised new mothers to immunise their newborn babies with the first set of routine immunisation.
Olorigbe gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Tuesday.
According to him, neonatal immunisation has to do with “vaccines given early in life, during infancy to avoid diseases and deformities’’.
Olorigbe said that neonates (newborn children) had an immature immune system that rendered them at high risk of infection.
“Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) and Hepatitis B Vaccine (HBV), do demonstrate safety and some efficacy at birth.
“They provide proof that certain antigen-adjuvant combinations are able to elicit protective neonatal responses.
“Neonatal immunisation is important in protecting newborn from the dangers of polio, measles, deformities,’’ he said.
Olorigbe said that neonatal immunisation was free in every health centre around, saying that neonates developed infections and diseases when they failed to take the vaccines.
He advised parents who have not given the vaccines to their children to locate the nearest health centres for such services. (NAN)