The Edo State Government has announced a major public health initiative aimed at protecting its youngest citizens. Authorities are targeting approximately 2.2 million children, aged from 0 to 14 years, for vaccination against measles and rubella.
Campaign Details and Strategic Rollout
Dr. Eseigbe Efeomon, the Director of Disease Control and Immunisation at the Edo State Primary Health Care Development Agency, revealed the plans. He stated the vaccination campaign is a collaborative effort with development partners. The exercise is scheduled to run from January 20 to January 30, 2026, simultaneously across all 18 local government areas of the state.
Vaccinations will be administered at designated health facilities and temporary vaccination posts. Dr. Efeomon emphasised that the campaign's goal is to significantly reduce the incidence of measles and rubella in Nigeria by boosting population immunity through sustained vaccination efforts.
Ensuring Safety and Effective Coverage
Considering that the vaccines are injectable, Dr. Efeomon stressed that only qualified and certified health workers would be recruited as vaccinators. The strategy will employ both fixed posts and temporary fixed posts to maximise reach.
To ensure no child is missed or vaccinated twice, teams will visit schools, places of worship, markets, motor parks, and camps for internally displaced persons. Each child who receives the vaccine will be issued a vaccination card as proof and will also be finger-marked to prevent double vaccination. Parents and caregivers are strongly advised to keep these cards safe for future reference.
A Push for National Disease Reduction
Dr. Efeomon reiterated that the overarching aim is to drastically cut rubella incidence nationwide and shield children from these preventable diseases through effective immunisation coverage. Supporting this view, Mr. Ajaero Paul, a World Health Organisation (WHO) Local Government Facilitator, highlighted the global threat of measles and rubella.
He described both diseases as major causes of child mortality and congenital abnormalities. Mr. Paul assured the public that the measles-rubella vaccine is both safe and effective, offering a reliable shield against these serious health threats.
