Measles can kill, Oyo governor tells parents

AS the dry season sets in, mothers have been urged to ensure that their children under five years of age take the measles vaccination because the contagious infection can kill.

Commissioner for Health, Oyo State, Dr Bode Ladipo, speaking at the flag-off ceremony of the Measles Integrated Vaccination, Administration of vitamin A supplement and birth registration campaign in the state, said the dry season usually heralds a period of measles and for some time now, the infection has been a problem that mothers grapple with.

“The provision of the vaccination is to ensure that children under 5 are immunized, but more importantly have the wherewithal to face this period and ensure that we will not have a loss of life,” he said.

Ladipo, speaking at the occasion which had representatives of different partners, including AFENET, UNICEF, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), religious leaders and WHO, said the flagging off of the integrated measles campaign was symbolic of the state government’s commitment to goals and aspiration of children.

World Health Organization (WHO) zonal coordinator, Dr Isiaka Ayodeji, said although the number of deaths from measles had reduced in Nigeria due to vaccination, yet, at least two out of every 100 children that have measles will die if not vaccinated.

Dr Ayodeji added that in children with malnutrition that have not taken the measles vaccine, the incidence of death is even higher, putting it at 10 percent.

According to him, complications of measles in children include blindness, deafness and death in its worse forms.

“When the child takes the first measles dose, it will protect the child by at least 93 percent, but when you give the second dose, its level of protection jumps to about 97 percent. So, it is important that we have the campaign.”

UNICEF’s representative, Mrs Ada Ezeogu, who commended the integrated measles campaign flagging off, said over 46 million people across Nigeria are expected to be reached by all the interventions, and UNICEF was looking forward to sharing the lessons learnt from the intervention with other states of the federation.

Deputy governor of Oyo State, Barrister Bayo Lawal, flagging the campaign off, stated the vaccination campaign is a big opportunity that parents must tap into given that measles is contagious and he urged continuous support from partners to ensure health for all in the state.