The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has announced plans to vaccinate approximately 3.8million children against measles in four northern states of Nigeria. Patrick Akor, UNICEF’s Health Officer in the Bauchi Field Office, revealed at a press briefing in Bauchi on Friday that the campaign would commence on Saturday and run for seven days. The targeted states for the integrated measles campaign include Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, and Plateau.
“For the measles campaign, we have a target of 3.8 million children aged nine to 59 months across the four states,” said Akor. “We have received over 4 million doses of measles vaccines, which have been supplied across these four states,” he added.
In addition to the measles campaign, UNICEF will roll out an oral polio vaccination program across five northern states. Akor explained that this campaign aims to vaccinate 6.8million children under five years old in Taraba, Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe, and Adamawa. “The total number of vaccines delivered is 7.4 million doses across these five states,” he noted, stressing UNICEF’s commitment to ensuring that all eligible children are vaccinated.
Akor called on the media to spread awareness of the campaign, particularly to communities at the grassroots level. George Eki, a Social and Behavioural Change Specialist at UNICEF’s Bauchi Field Office, highlighted the organization’s vital role in supporting the Nigerian government’s efforts to protect children against measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases.
He explained that UNICEF has collaborated with the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency and state agencies to cover various campaign aspects, including logistical support, vaccine distribution, and the provision of necessary commodities.
UNICEF has also provided a cold chain system to maintain the vaccines’ potency during storage and transport. Eki emphasized the role of advocacy, communication, and social mobilization in informing communities about the campaign, including eligibility requirements and vaccination sites.
