The United Nations Children’s Fund on Thursday urged parents to ensure their children take the measles vaccine, saying the disease kills more children than other vaccine preventable diseases.

Strategic Behaviour Communication Consultant, UNICEF, Dr Uju Eze, said this at a stakeholders engagement/Town Hall meeting for the 2024 Integrated Supplementary Immunisation Activities (SIAs), in Awka.

The Town hall was organised by the Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, UNICEF, WHO, CHAI and AFENET.

Eze said, “Measles disease caused by the measles virus is highly infectious. It kills more children than any other vaccine preventable diseases and over 17,000 measles cases are reported yearly in Nigeria.

Measles affects all ages and sexes, but about 70 per cent  of measles cases affect mostly children less than a year old and this results from low levels of routine immunisation coverage. So, we need to vaccinate and protect our children. The only prevention of measles is by immunisation with measles vaccine which is free, safe and effective with life-long immune protection.”

Mrs Josephine Erugo of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency said the Federal Government was implementing the supplementary immunisation activities in 26 states to meet global eradication targets.

In her address, Executive Secretary, ASPHCDA, Chisom Uchem, said Anambra was ready to implement the measles vaccination and needed to carry relevant stakeholders along in the process.

She said, “This town hall meeting is to interact with religious, traditional, community leaders and civil society organisations to help us achieve 95 per cent coverage in the forthcoming measles vaccination.’’

Also speaking, state Health Educator, ASPHCDA, Uju Onwuegbuzina, said the measles vaccination would start on October 12 and end on October 18, in all health facilities, designated fixed and mobile posts in communities, churches, schools and markets.

Onwuegbuzina said the measles vaccination was targeted at children from nine to 59 months of age.

Also, Al-Imam Sheriff Olanrewaju of the Muslim community said the stakeholders would educate the people and support the immunisation campaign to protect children from diseases.

(NAN)