The Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State has recorded impressive compliance with the ongoing federal government and UNICEF-supported measles-rubella (MR) vaccination campaign.

The observation was made on Friday in Jos during the 10-day exercise, which targets children across all 325 wards in the state’s 17 local government areas.

The MR vaccines are designed to curb measles and rubella, both viral diseases that can cause severe complications and even death in children and adults.

Oluseyi Olusunde, a UNICEF officer leading the supervision team in Jos North, commended the high level of community participation and support witnessed during the exercise.

He said the campaign’s goal of achieving more than 90 per cent immunisation coverage would not be possible without the cooperation of residents and community leaders.

“The government of Nigeria, in collaboration with development partners, organised this nationwide campaign to protect Nigerian children through the measles-rubella vaccine.

“This is one of the most significant public health interventions in recent years. Measles and rubella are dangerous viral diseases that can cause serious health complications,” he added.

He noted that schools and communities visited in Jos North had demonstrated strong support, aligning with the efforts of the federal and state governments and partners, including WHO, UNICEF, AFNET, and GAVI.

“Our goal is to ensure that at least 90 per cent of children in the state are vaccinated to achieve community protection. You can see the joy on their faces as they proudly hold their vaccination cards,” he said.

Some health workers highlighted challenges in certain communities, noting that a few parents still resisted the vaccination due to misconceptions about its safety.

However, they commended residents of Jos North for showing greater cooperation this time compared to previous campaigns, a change attributed to increased sensitisation and awareness.

Rose Dalyop, team supervisor at Dogon Dutse Road, said she had received maximum cooperation from parents and school administrators during the vaccination exercise.

She described the 2025 reception as much better than previous ones, attributing the improvement to enhanced community engagement and sensitisation efforts.

Sani Hassan, director of Al-Hadanat High School, and Mary Emmanuel, principal of Al-Iman Secondary School, both commended stakeholders for the initiative, saying it would help secure the health and future of children in their communities.

Some of the communities and schools visited included Al-Iman Private School, Al-Hadanat High School, De-Bridge Private School, and the Congo-Russia, Naraguta, and Dogon Dutse communities.

(NAN)