The United Nations Children’s Funds (UNICEF), on Thursday urged parents to ensure their children take measles vaccine, saying that measles kills more children than other vaccine preventable diseases.
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Dr Uju Eze, Strategic Behaviour Communication Consultant, UNICEF, made the call at a stakeholders engagement/Town hall meeting for the 2024 Integrated Supplementary Immunisation Activities (SIAs), in Awka.
The Town hall was organised by the Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ASPHCDA), in collaboration with Ministry of Health, UNICEF, WHO, CHAI and AFENET.
Eze said: “Measles disease caused by the measles virus is highly infectious. It kills more children than any other vaccine preventable diseases and over 17,000 measles cases are reported yearly in Nigeria.
“Measles affects all ages and sexes, but about 70 per cent of measles cases affect mostly children less than a years old and this results from low levels of routine immunisation coverage.
“So, we need to vaccinate and protect our children. The only prevention of measles is by immunisation with measles vaccine which is free, safe and effective with life-long immune protection.”
Mrs Josephine Erugo, from National Primary Health Care Development Agency, said the federal government was implementing the supplementary immunisation activities in 26 states to meet global eradication target.
In her address, Mrs Chisom Uchem, Executive Secretary, ASPHCDA, said Anambra state was ready to implement the measles vaccination and needed to carry all relevant stakeholders along in the process.
“This town hall meeting is to interact with religious, traditional, community leaders and civil society organisations to help us achieve 95 per cent coverage in the forthcoming measles vaccination,” she said.
Also speaking, Mrs Uju Onwuegbuzina, State Health Educator, ASPHCDA, said the Measles vaccination would start on Oct. 12 and end on Oct. 18, in all health facilities, designated fixed and mobile posts in communities, churches, schools and markets.
Onwuegbuzina said the measles vaccination was targeted at children from nine to 59 months of age.
Al-Imam Sheriff Olanrewaju of the Muslim community said they would educate the people and support the immunisation campaign to protect children from diseases.
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