Kaduna govt targets 4.2 million children in measles, rubella vaccination campaign

The Kaduna State Primary Health Care Board has commenced an integrated measles and rubella vaccination campaign today (Saturday), aimed at immunising more than 4.2 million children across the 23 local government areas of the state.

The campaign, supported by UNICEF, the World Health Organisation (WHO), and other development partners, targets children between the ages of nine months and 14 years as part of efforts to curb the spread of childhood killer diseases.

Speaking during the flag-off of the campaign, the Director of Disease Control and Immunisation, Dr Hamza Ibrahim, said the exercise would help reduce the number of “zero-dose” children — those who have never received any vaccine — in the state.

He explained that Kaduna alone accounts for about 10 per cent of the 100 local governments nationwide battling the zero-dose challenge, with more than 4,000 unvaccinated children identified in the state.

“Even though we are a big number, we exist now because of the support and effort by community women and development partners to reduce the number of zero-dose children,” Dr Ibrahim said.

“With UNICEF, WHO, CHAN, CHI, and other partners supporting the state government, we are optimistic about reaching every eligible child.”

Also speaking, the State Health Educator, Kaduna State Primary Health Care Board, Yusha’u Isah, said the integrated campaign would address several vaccine-preventable diseases, including measles, rubella, polio, and diphtheria.

“For now, we have ongoing transmission of diphtheria in more than 19 local governments, while all local governments have reported measles cases this year,” he said. “This campaign aims to stop the transmission of these diseases and boost the immunity of our children.”

He added that adequate arrangements had been made to reach children in hard-to-reach and security-compromised areas, including those in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.

“We are collaborating with security agencies, traditional leaders, and community stakeholders to ensure full access and coverage,” Isah said.

The representative of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Elizabeth Hassan, stated that the measles-rubella (MR) vaccine is safe, effective, and approved by both NAFDAC and the World Health Organisation, noting that the campaign aligns with Nigeria’s commitment to eliminating measles and rubella by 2030.

Health authorities have advised parents and guardians to present all eligible children for vaccination at health facilities and temporary posts across the state, stressing that the vaccine is free of charge.

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