Adamawa launches meningitis vaccination for children

ADAMAWA Government has launched meningitis “A” vaccination of children across the state.

Performing the exercise in Demsa, headquarters of Demsa Local Government Area, the State Deputy Governor, Chief Crowther Seth, said the event was also to officially introduce the vaccine into the EPI schedule of routine immunization in the state.

The Deputy Governor, who is also the Chairman of the State Task Force on Immunisation, described the vaccine as safe, cost-effective and free.

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He urged parents to make available their children to be vaccinated against the disease and other child-killer diseases whose vaccines were now available in all primary healthcare centres in the state.

“In order to further demonstrate our commitment to achieving and sustaining a healthy population, we are today officially launching the introduction of meningitis vaccine into the EPI schedule of routine immunisation in Adamawa.

“Healthy children are not only assets to our dear state but remain the prime strength of the economic viability of future Adamawa.

“We, therefore, call on all health care workers, LGA traditional and religious leaders and media to support this exercise,” Seth said.

Also speaking, the traditional ruler of Bata Chiefdom of Demsa, Mr Gladson Teneke, directed all wards, village and district heads in the chiefdom to ensure adequate mobilisation of their communities for a successful exercise.

In her remarks, the Executive Chairperson of Adamawa state Primary Healthcare Agency, Dr Batulu Mohammad, described meningitis as one of the most dreaded contagious diseases.

He said that before now the vaccine was only given when there was an outbreak.

He added that this time around, the federal government had directed that it should be given alongside other vaccines such as yellow fever and measles during routine immunisation for nine months old children.

In their respective goodwill messages, the representatives of collaboration partners like WHO, UNICEF and NPHCA lauded Adamawa government for its priority attention to the health sector, particularly primary healthcare and assured it of their sustained support