By Yesirat Abiola
Lagos State Government has announced commencement of 2022 Integrated Measles vaccination campaign for children aged nine to fifty-nine months between Friday 17th and Friday 24th June, and from Monday 27th June to Monday 4th July, 2022 in all fifty-seven local government and local council development areas of the State.
State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi who made the announcement at a Press Briefing heralding the commencement of the measles vaccination exercise in Lagos State, said no fewer than five million children are expected to be immunized during the sixteen days campaign.
Prof. Abayomi said the State Government in collaboration with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, World Health Organizatio, WHO, United Nations Children Fund, UNICEF and other development partners would be conducting an Integrated Measles Campaign in the State in line with the National Measles Elimination Strategic Plan 2018-2028”.
He noted that the forthcoming measles vaccination campaign will be integrated with other primary healthcare services and routine immunization to improve efficiency and effectiveness, especially at the primary health care level whilst also providing opportunity for parents and caregivers to access multiple services at the same time.
“The measles vaccine will be provided to children aged 9 to 59 months with Vitamin A supplements for children aged 6-59 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 said.
The commissioner explained that the campaign would be conducted for eight days each in two streams, consisting of 10 LGAs and appurtenances LCDA per streams in order to maximize resources and ensure that all the eligible population 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”.
While appealing to parents and givers to ensure that all the target population of children in Lagos receive the measles vaccine and other routine immunization services during the campaign, the Commissioner noted that the responsibility to vaccinate all eligible children against measles is not that that of the parents and caregivers alone but on everybody including religious, community and political leaders in order to ensure that children are protected against childhood preventable diseases.
“I want to assure the good people of Lagos State that Immunization is SAFE and EFFECTIVE, and I, therefore, call on all Lagosians to take advantage of this mass campaign”.
Speaking in the same vein, 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.
He added that the teams would man fixed and temporary fixed posts which includes 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% vaccination coverage.
“To ensure the success of this year’s integrated measles campaign, the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board in collaboration with our development partners have conducted training sessions for health workers and implementers who will drive the exercise in order to strengthen their capacity.
“We are currently embarking on massive media and social mobilization campaigns especially at grassroots level to sensitize and enlighten the Lagosians on the importance of the vaccine”.
