The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has urged parents and caregivers to get their children vaccinated against measles.

According to Faisal Shuaib, NPHCDA executive director, measles primarily affects children under five years and can lead to death. He stated this on Tuesday in Abuja. 

While death rates have fallen worldwide as more children receive the measles vaccine, the disease still kills more than 200,000 people a year, mostly children.

“Those at increased risk of contracting measles are children under five years who have not completed their routine immunisation and those not vaccinated against measles,” Mr Shuaib. “For your child to be fully protected against measles, it is important for nine months to five years of age for children to receive measles immunisation.”

The NPHCDA boss urged parents and caregivers to ensure their child gets vaccinated against measles and yellow fever in the agency’s ongoing integrated campaign.

“Other childhood immunisation and COVID-19 vaccines will also be administered at the mobile and fixed post,” Mr Shuaib said.

Measles symptoms do not appear until 10 to 14 days after exposure. The symptoms include fever, dry cough, runny nose, sore throat and Inflamed eyes (conjunctivitis).

Tiny white spots with bluish-white centres on a red background are found inside the mouth on the inner lining of the cheek, also called Koplik’s spots. 

The signs include a skin rash of large, flat blotches that often flow into one another. The infection occurs in stages over two to three weeks.

(NAN)