The Oyo State government has said it is targeting to vaccinate children aged between nine and 59 months across the 33 local governments during the 7-day Integrated Measles Campaign which kicks off on Saturday.
The Executive Secretary, Oyo State Primary Healthcare Board, Dr. Muideen Babatunde Olatunji disclosed during the flag-off of the exercise in Ibadan.
The campaign was flagged off on Saturday at Salvation Army Primary school, Kube in Ibadan North Local Government of the state.
The Executive Secretary described measles as a highly contagious, airborne disease caused by a virus that can lead to blindness, severe complications and death and that its vaccination will help to avert millions of deaths globally between 2000 and 2022.
Represented by the Director, Disease control and immunisation, Dr. Johnson Osoko, the Executive Secretary said the safe and cost-effective vaccine is available to tackle the viral disease.
The Executive Secretary added that “This exercise is a very improved one and one of the major activities of the primary healthcare board to ensure we protect our children from measles”.
He said as a responsive agency of government, the airborne disease, which is more rampant in the dry season, must be stopped, before there will be an outbreak among children.
He said “The measles campaign this year is targeting children between 9 months to 59 months spread across the 33 LGs from the 19th to 25th October, 2024. We over two million children within the age bracket of of 0-59 months, but children between 0-1year are about 408,000 and our immunisation activities covers all of them”.
“Over 5,000 health workers will be deployed in teams to various posts during the 7 days of the campaign”.
“The state government has also provided funds to ensure children in hard to hard-to-reach/difficult terrains in the various local government are not left out of this campaign.
“Over a million doses of measles vaccines, immunization cards and syringes have been distributed to the various local government health authority cold stores for the exercise which has begun today, the 19th of October 2024”.
He thanked all partners for their technical and financial support to all health programs in the state.
Speaking on behalf of development partners, Dr. Paul Ajayi from the World Health Organization, WHO, hailed Gov Seyi Makinde’s administration for the unrelenting support to the health sector, most especially immunisation services in the state.
He said the immunisation is very safe and comes with no reaction, adding that health workers will visit designated centres across the 33 Local Governments of the state to get children vaccinated against this killer but preventable disease describing the vaccine as safe, effective and free of charge.
He therefore appealed to parents, guardians and caregivers to take advantage of the campaign by taking their children (9 months to 59 months).
Also, the Chairman, Ibadan North local government area, Mr. Oluwaseun Olufade, appealed to residents in the LGA to inform one another about the immunisation exercise.
Represented by the Supervisory Councillor for Health, Hon. Musa Azeez, the chairman said the campaign will involve the use of Government Health Facilities (Primary Secondary and Tertiary), churches, mosques, market, schools, parks and garages, and other designated temporary fixed posts within the local government.
The Medical officer of Health, Ibadan North local government, Dr. Sunday Adeyemi Adewole said the residents of the local government have been responsive to all immunisation activities within the local government.
He said this is evident with the presence of the Ward Development Committees, mothers, ward representatives at the kick-off.
“I am positive that at the end of this exercise, Ibadan North will be the local government with the highest number of vaccination in Oyo State”, he said.
A Parent, Akinleye Bolanle, advised parents to come out for the immunisation exercise to guard against measles
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