At least, seven million children were set to receive vaccines against measles and rubella in Kano State as the state government intensifies efforts to eliminate the two deadly diseases by 2030.
Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf announced this on Monday during the take-off ceremony of the routine immunization campaign in Tofa local government area of the state.
“This year we will add the Rubella vaccine to our routine immunization exercise, the goal is to ensure 7.8million children aged 9months-14 years are vaccinated. We also intend to cover 3.9 million children with the Polio vaccine as well,” he said.
Labaran described measles and rubella as highly contagious and dangerous, noting that rubella often goes unnoticed in children and pregnant women but can cause severe health complications such as blindness, deafness, heart defects, and mental disorders.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to eradicating preventable diseases through sustained immunization campaigns, which he said remain the most effective way to protect public health.
The commissioner appealed to parents and guardians to fully support the initiative, “I urge parents to support this initiative to ensure a better and healthier future for our children.”
Dr. Labaran also warned that the government will begin to enforce constitutional provisions to prosecute parents or guardians who refuse to allow their children to be vaccinated.
