By 
By Kayode Abdulazeez
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO), Gavi The Vaccine Alliance, and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) on Friday 3rd of October convened a dialogue with selected media practitioners in Kwara State in preparation for the flag off of the Integrated Measles-Rubella Vaccine campaign.
Speaking at the media dialogue held at Ilorin, Ibrahim Mohammed from the Kaduna UNICEF office said Measles is a highly infectious viral disease and leading cause of death among young children.
He added that Rubella which is also known as German measles, typically causes mild measles-like illness in children and adults and infection of Rubella in early pregnancy can result in severe birth defects known as Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS).
Mohammed commended Nigeria’s progress in polio eradication, saying “We have made remarkable progress in the fight against preventable diseases.
“We all stood tall as Nigeria was declared free of wild poliovirus, united by a single mission: to protect our children and communities from preventable diseases through vaccination.”
“Today, we stand on the threshold of another milestone the introduction of the measles-rubella vaccine into our national immunization schedule.
“For decades, measles has been one of the leading killers of children under five.
Rubella, though less well known, causes lifelong harm when it infects pregnant women and children.
“With the introduction of the Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine, we now have an additional, powerful tool to stop both of these diseases and protect generations yet unborn.”
He further called for the cooperation of parents, media practitioners, and support of all other stakeholders saying that the would be better achieved when everyone does their part and the fight against the deadly disease as a collective responsibility.
“This historic step is possible through the leadership of our Government at both the National and State levels, with strong support from UNICEF, WHO, Gavi, and partners. The MR vaccine is safe, paid for by the government, and available for all eligible children (9 months-14 years) at no additional charge.
“Our collective action is absolutely needed to end the transmission of the deadly poliovirus by the end of 2025. We know the oral polio vaccine has brought down the incidents of paralysis due to polioviruses by 99.9% around the world.
But to defeat poliovirus, 95% of all children below the age of five need to receive the Oral Polio Vaccine in every vaccination round until the virus is completely eradicated.
“It is concerning that Nigeria has one of the highest numbers of zero-dose children in the world. This means that measles outbreaks still claim young lives. Rubella continues to threaten unborn children, and there is a continuing spread of the variant poliovirus in the country. Remember, the vaccine is only effective when it reaches every child.”
Cross-section of Resource persons at the event
In her remarks the representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) Emmanuel Eyitayo assured the safety of the vaccine said “Yes, the Measles-Rubella Vaccine has been tested, safe and effective. WHO prequalified and NAFDAC certified it and it has been in existence since 1979 and is used all over the world.”
In his remarks, Dr Usman Mohammed Danlamin, a UNICEF Consultant for Kwara State tasked the participating media practitioners on amplifying accurate information to the parents and general public.
Participating media practitioners
“Media plays a vital role in promoting vaccination in Nigeria, with strong tools to counter misinformation, reach a wider audience and we urged you to keep society updated about these emerging diseases.”
Participating media practitioners
Also speaking the Executive Secretary of NPHCDA in Kwara Professor Nusirat Elelu, represented at the event by the agency Director of Primary Healthcare System in the Ministry of Health Dr Micheal Oguntoye disclosed that the vaccination will be flagged off in Kwara on Thursday 9th of October by the First Lady, Professor Olufolake AbdulRazaq and it will be available at all health facilities offering routine immunization and temporary vaccination posts in designated places across all the 16 local government areas at no cost.
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