Dr Modupe Adeyinka, Head of Health Department, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), says the council will commence measles vaccination from Feb. 8 to 20 to prevent the outbreak of the disease in the area.
Adeyinka made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.
She said that the vaccination would cover children between the ages of nine months and five years in the council area, adding that the virus could be prevented with the help of the vaccine.
“Measles is a highly contagiovaccine-preventableble respiratory disease caused by measles virus; measles affects mostly children under the age of five years and it can lead to death.”
“Measles can be prevented by vaccination; the measles vaccine is to boost the immune system of our children against the disease.’’
She explained that measles could be spread through droplet transmission from nose, throat and mouth of an infected person.
She said the council has embarked on a sensitisation campaign from house to house, church to church and school to school to create awareness of the oncoming exercise.
Adeyinka told NAN that the council was currently training personnel that would carry out the exercise, adding that it was done periodically in the council.
According to her, the Chairman of AMAC, Mr Abudullahi Candido was organising a stakeholders` meeting with all Districts Head, Councillors, market heads and women leaders among others to solicit their supports.
She said that the chairman being passionate about the health of children in the council was doing all within his powers to see that they enjoy good health.
Adeyinka called on parents to present their children, who are between the ages of nine months and five years, for the exercise.
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