Abstract

*Duro Adebayo, Lola Afolabi and Kemi Rotimi

Vaccine preventable diseases constitute the burden of morbidity and mortality, particularly for children under 5- years in developing countries of the world such as Nigeria. Immunization is one of the most cost-effective public health interventions to date, saving millions of lives and protecting countless children from illness and disability. Numerous researches affirmed that vaccine preventable diseases account for 22% of under-five deaths in Nigeria. And poor knowledge and negative attitude on the part of parents especially the nursing mothers have been responsible for non-vaccination of children. This paper seeks to establish the fact that positive attitude and knowledge of childhood immunization is a major solution in combating the menace of childhood immunization noncompliance among the nursing mothers in Nigeria. Furthermore, the paper is aimed at recommending achievable ways of bridging the gap of health education. And emphasize the need to promotion positive attitude towards childhood immunization among parents especially the nursing mothers. Based on the findings of this study, the knowledge of childhood immunization is not adequate among nursing mothers in Nigeria. This explains the downward trend of childhood immunization compliance since 1990 and leading to skyrocketing death rate of under five children in Nigeria. To promote childhood immunization compliance, good rewards system should be in place to encourage parents whose child/children complete the childhood immunization. Usage of bulk SMS by the health care givers and stake holders as a reminder and medium of information dissemination on childhood immunization should be encouraged and also, collaborative efforts with the community and religious leaders in the area of information dissemination.