The Lagos State Government has announced that no fewer than five million children aged 9 to 59 months are to be vaccinated against measles in its next measles vaccination campaign.
According to the Lagos state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Akin Abayomi, the exercise tagged 2022 Integrated Measles Vaccination Campaign for children will hold between June 17 and 24 and from June 27 to July 4 in all 57 local governments and local council development areas of the state.
The commissioner disclosed this at a press briefing organized by the health ministry on Wednesday (today) to announce the commencement of the 2022 measles vaccination exercise.
In a press statement signed by the Director of Public Affairs, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Tunbosun Ogunanwo, made available to PUNCH HealthWise, Abayomi was quoted to have said that the mass vaccination by the state is in collaboration with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, the World Health Organization, United Nations Children Fund, and other relevant partners.
The vaccination exercise, the commissioner said, is in line with the National Measles Elimination Strategic Plan 2018-2028.
Abayomi said,
“The measles vaccine will be provided to children aged 9 to 59 months with Vitamin A supplements for children aged six – 59 months.
“Routine immunization services will be available from birth up to 23 months, while COVID vaccination will also be available for adults who are 18 years and above as part of our integrated vaccination campaign approach”.
He also explained that the campaign will be conducted for eight days each in two streams, consisting of 10 LGAs and appurtenances LCDA per stream to maximize resources and ensure that all the eligible populations are reached during the campaign.
“The first stream will commence on the Friday 17th to Friday 24th of June, 2022, and the participating LGAs are Agege, Ajeromi, Alimosho, Amuwo-Odofin, Badagry, Ibeju, Kosofe, Lagos Mainland, Lagos Island, and Surulere.
“The second stream will start on Monday 27th of June to Monday 4th of July, 2022, and the remaining ten LGAs and its appurtenances LCDAs- Apapa, Epe, Eti-Osa, Ifako-Ijaiye, Ikeja, Mushin, Oshodi-Isolo, Ojo and Somolu will be covered,” he said.
He appealed to parents and caregivers to ensure that all the target population of children in Lagos receive the measles vaccine and other routine immunization services during the campaign, adding that the responsibility to vaccinate all eligible children against measles is not that of the parents and caregivers alone but on everybody irrespective of religion, community and political affiliation as the aim of the vaccination is to ensure that all children are protected against childhood preventable diseases.
Also, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Ibrahim Mustafa explained that a total of 1,800 vaccination teams will be available per stream across the LGAs and LCDAs to implement the measles vaccination campaign and other routine immunization services.
Mustafa submitted that the teams would man fixed and temporary fixed posts which include public and selected private hospitals, schools, clinics in religious houses, and houses of influential community leaders, stressing that this is in a bid to reach the eligible population and achieve a 100 per cent vaccination coverage.
To ensure the success of the programme, he said, “We are currently embarking on massive media and social mobilization campaigns, especially at local government, community and grassroots level to sensitize, enlighten and mobilize citizens effectively for a successful campaign”