….….as BSPHCDB flags off statewide integrated measles vaccination campaign
By Bashir Hassan Abubakar
As Bauchi State Government Flag off the long awaited integrated measles vaccination campaign today, 2nd October 2024, UNICEF Bauchi Field office (BFO) have called on parents and other caregivers in the State to avail themselves the opportunity provided by the week long immunization exercise to get their eligible children vaccinated against all vaccines preventable child killer diseases.
UNICEF (BFO) also disclosed that enough vaccines are made available by the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Board (BSPHCDB) with support from UNICEF Nigeria and other implementing partners in the State.
The Social Behavioural Change (SBC) specialist of UNICEF Bauchi Field office , Eki George while interacting with Journalists at the field office said that, since 2022, Bauchi State had not had any Measles Immunization campaign and that, that was why there were reported cases of Measles outbreak across the State.
Eki explained that the ongoing Measles Immunization campaign also provides an opportunity for children that have not had any, or completed their vaccinations to access such vaccines during the exercise, because other vaccines are also integrated in the course of implementing the measles campaign.
The SBC specialist said that, though UNICEF has been carrying out door to door sensitization and awareness creation through its volunteer community resource persons, briefing journalists would also further amplify the importance of the ongoing Measles integrated vaccination campaign.
Also speaking during the media parley, Health Officer in the field office, Patrick Akor disclosed that, the combined integrated immunization campaign is targeting over 9 million eligible children within the BFO focused States of Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Plateau and Taraba.
Akor further revealed that the integrated measles vaccination campaign has become imperative due to the fact that Nigeria is yet to achieve the 95 percent immunization coverage.
Our correspondent reports that Measles causes blindness in children and often leads to mortality among under five children.