Paediatric Association of Nigeria (PAN) recommended routine immunization schedule for Nigerian children

Abstract

Vaccine preventable diseases are a major contributor to child morbidity and mortality especially in the Sub-Saharan Africa and Nigeria in particular. It accounts for 17% of global total under -five mortality per year and 22% of child mortality in Nigeria. This implies that appropriate deployment of relevant vaccines would significantly reduce mortality and speed up the achievement of Millennium Development Goal 4 (MDG 4). In this paper, the Paediatric Association of Nigeria recommends a comprehensive routine immunization schedule for children of all ages striking a delicate balance between optimal immune response generation and avoidance of undue exposure to high risk environment; while avoiding neutralization by maternal antibodies.