October 24, 2022

Niger State Primary Health Care Development Agency, in collaboration with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), is set to vaccinate 1.1 million children against measles across the 25 local government areas of the state.

Mr. Abari Musa, Social Behavioural Change Consultant with UNICEF, disclosed this at a one-day media orientation for the forthcoming measles immunisation campaign in Minna on Monday.

He disclosed that the vaccination would be divided into two phases with the first phase beginning from Oct. 31 to Nov. 7 while the second phase would commence from Nov. 8 to 15.

Musa said that children from 9 to 59 months would be vaccinated against measles, adding that those across the 275 wards of the state would benefit from the programme.

“Children under 5 years and those who are not vaccinated are at high risk of contracting measles,” he said.

He added that immunisation teams would be deployed to schools to vaccinate children while some teams would be at designated health facilities or at the district head and village head’s palace.

He added that during the vaccination, there would also be routine immunisation on measles, COVID-19 and birth registration.

Musa said letters of notification would be sent to Churches and Mosques to inform them of the measles immunisation campaign for adequate participation of their members.

He, however, explained that the global measles elimination goal was to reduce measles to one case per one million population.

He added that it was essential to maintain high vaccination coverage to control vaccine preventable diseases in schools and communities.

Musa solicited the support of the media in helping to disseminate information to the general public, especially mothers, to ensure their under 5 years got vaccinated to prevent them from contracting measles. (NAN)