By: Felix Ikpotor
As part of deliberate effort to rid the state of cases of measles, the Rivers State Government says it would be carrying out mass vaccination beginning from October 12th to 18th and mop-up exercise between 19th and 20th October, 2024.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Adaeze Oreh who stated this in a news conference to announce the kick-off of the State Integrated Measles Mass Vaccination Campaign said the campaign is targeted at children between ages nine months to under five years.
Oreh, who noted that measles is highly contagious, said the aim is to reach the children directly in their communities through schools and religious institutions.
She observed the downward trend in vaccination coverage in the state, hence she said, n the urgency for the campaign.
“For 2024, the data that we have so far is 46 percent, last year it was 67 percent, so you can see that it has reduced drastically.
“Measles is a highly contagious disease, therefore achieving high vaccination coverage is crucial for protecting our children, preventing outbreaks and ensuring their adequate growth and development”.
Oreh, noted that the government was concerned about the health of children of the state and the need to protect their future that’s why it is making the vaccines available.
“We are committed to making vaccination accessible to all children that are eligible by leveraging our community structures using venues like schools and religious institutions.
“We aim to maximize the reach and convenience for parents and caregivers so that we leave no child behind and our goal is to push the current coverage rate significantly and protect our community’s youngest members against this killer disease known as measles,” she stated.
While noting that the government in collaboration with her development partners has mobilised sufficient manpower and personnel to carryout the campaign in urban and rural areas, the health commissioner appealed to parents and all stakeholders especially community leaders to encourage their children and wards to participate in the exercise.
Warning against complacency on the side of parents, Oreh, noted that there is the need to close the gap between the first childhood vaccination of the child and when they get to age nine months, saying, “Some families would feel that the child is sufficiently covered and that is why we are carrying out this robust campaign to inform them that even though the earlier childhood vaccinations had been given, it is crucial that this measles vaccines are given at the age of nine months to protect the children”.
She said aside those that would be going from house to house, schools and religious institutions to administer the vaccines, parents can also take their children and wards to the primary healthcare centres in the state to get them vaccinated.
