Ogun State government has said it will deploy over 5,000 health personnel to various areas of the state for the one-week 2024 measles vaccination campaign, which is scheduled to commence tomorrow, Saturday.
The state commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, disclosed this in Abeokuta, to herald the state’s Implementation of the 2024 Integrated Measles Campaign.
Coker explained that the immunisation specifically targeted an approximate total of 1,136,953 children between nine months and five years across the 20 LGAs.
He said that measles vaccinations were essential because unvaccinated children run the risk of developing blindness, brain damage and high fever that could cause seizures and deformity; emphasised the state government’s efforts at reducing measles worldwide, pointing out that the state’s 2022 campaign resulted in a significant drop in confirmed measles cases from 118 in October 2022 to 15 in the same period in 2024.
“The campaign conducted two years ago in the state led to a marked reduction in the number of confirmed Measles cases from 118 as of October 2022 to 15 in the same period in 2024. There has also been a drop in the number of confirmed cases of yellow fever from 3 in October 2022 to zero confirmed cases in the same period in 2024, according to WHO, Ogun State.
While noting that immunisation is free, the commissioner urged parents and caregivers to take advantage of the initiative by taking their children to designated centres across the 236 wards in the state.
“I would also like to inform you that the campaign will involve using government health facilities (primary, secondary and tertiary), churches, mosques, markets, schools, parks and garages, and other designated temporary fixed posts.
‘’I am using this medium to call on parents and caregivers to take advantage of the campaign by taking their children nine months to 59 months to get vaccinated against this killer but preventable disease, measles. The vaccine is safe, effective and free of charge”, she said.
