The Ekiti State Government has announced plans to commence the administration of the Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine this month as part of its routine immunisation programme, in a renewed effort to protect children and address existing immunity gaps across the state.
The State Immunisation Officer, Omolabake Ogundola, described measles and rubella as highly contagious and potentially fatal diseases, stressing that the introduction of the combined MR vaccine was a strategic public health intervention aimed at safeguarding children from preventable illnesses.
Ogundola disclosed this in Ado-Ekiti on Friday during a media orientation and sensitisation meeting organised by the Ekiti State Primary Health Care Development Agency, in collaboration with United Nations Children’s Fund, ahead of the statewide vaccination campaign.
According to her, the MR vaccine will be formally introduced into Ekiti State’s routine immunisation schedule in the third week of January, following a 10-day statewide vaccination campaign.
“The campaign will target children aged nine months to 14 years across the state,” Ogundola said. “Thereafter, the vaccine will be administered routinely at nine months and 15 months as first and second doses respectively, replacing the existing standalone measles vaccine.”
She explained that the campaign is expected to cover about 17 per cent of Ekiti State’s total population, adding that achieving between 90 and 95 per cent coverage would be considered a successful outcome. Both administrative coverage data and post-campaign evaluation surveys, she noted, would be deployed to assess the effectiveness of the exercise.
On implementation strategies, the state immunisation officer said all health facilities offering routine immunisation services would remain operational throughout the campaign period. In addition, mobile vaccination teams would be deployed to various communities to establish temporary vaccination posts.
She added that targeted outreach activities would be extended to hard-to-reach areas, including rural settlements, factory locations, farm camps and security-challenged communities, with support from security agencies where required.
Also speaking, the Director of Disease Control and Immunisation, Dr Segun Adeoye, described immunisation as one of the most effective public health interventions globally, emphasising its role in reducing childhood and maternal morbidity and mortality.
Adeoye underscored the importance of the media in public health campaigns, describing journalists as critical partners in reaching households with credible and accurate information. He said the orientation programme was designed to equip media professionals with factual details on the MR vaccine, its safety, effectiveness, target population and campaign strategies.
“This collaboration between the health sector and the media is vital in countering misinformation, myths and public apprehension surrounding vaccination,” he said.
The State Technical Assistant with the World Health Organisation, Dr Ebube Eronini, described the campaign as a crucial intervention aimed at closing immunity gaps against measles and rubella, both of which are highly infectious viral diseases.
Eronini noted that the exercise would cover all communities and settlements across Ekiti State to ensure that no eligible child is left out. She warned that measles could result in severe complications such as malnutrition, blindness, encephalitis and death, particularly among children under the age of five.
She also highlighted the dangers of rubella, especially for pregnant women, explaining that infection during pregnancy could lead to congenital rubella syndrome, which often results in hearing loss, heart defects and visual impairment in infants.
Similarly, the State Technical Assistant for the International Vaccine Access Centre, Mrs Folakemi Aladenika, urged parents and caregivers to utilise the campaign window, noting that children above the eligible age bracket would no longer have access to the vaccine once it becomes fully integrated into routine immunisation.
In her remarks, the State Health Educator, Mrs Olajumoke Oguntoye, said extensive stakeholder engagement had been carried out ahead of the campaign. She revealed that traditional rulers, religious leaders, school authorities, parent-teacher associations and education stakeholders had all been consulted and had endorsed the vaccination exercise.