Kogi: Gov Ododo’s wife calls for massive participation in measles vaccination 

By Mark Akudu, Kogi 

The wife of Kogi State governor, Hajiao Sefinat Usman Ododo on Thursday, flagged off Integrated Supplementary Immunization Activities Campaign in the state.

She however called  on parents to  ensure that their children participate in large numbers for the vaccination against the killer disease.

Hajia Sefinat Usman Ododo while  performing the ceremony in Lokoja, stressed the need for parents to avail their children of the privileged preventive measures to tackle the disease.

Ododo’s wife who was represented by the Special Adviser to the Governor on the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Hon Sandra Mimi Musa, said that the provision of the free measles vaccination is part of the state government’s attention to the health of the future leaders.

“Our Children should be considered as our beauty in life, hence the need to give them the desired sound health. We as citizens must ensure that we make our children available for the vaccination Programme as prevention they say is better than cure” she affirmed.

The Executive Director of Kogi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Abubakar Yakubu,  in his welcome address, disclosed that the 2024 Measles Supplementary Immunization Campaign was put in place by his agency in collaboration with the Ministry of Health to stop the spread of measles infection especially at this escalating dry and harmattan period.

He explained that measles is a highly contagious viral infection that, for many years, has been a leading cause of death among children worldwide saying that the only powerful weapon in the fight against it is measles vaccine.

According to him, measles vaccination is only meant for children between  ages of 9 to 59 months.

The Executive Director hinted that Nigeria  has recorded  over sixteen thousand suspected measles cases between January this year to date which according to reports is far higher than what was obtainable in the past years,  with the death of seventy people within the same period.

Abubakar Yakubu also disclosed that record has it that there are 167 suspected cases of measles in Kogi state between January this to date assuring that the target of his agency is to achieve 95% coverage of the measles campaign across Kogi.

The efforts, according to the executive director, are aimed at creating enough awareness and sensitization campaigns on the impact of measles disease and its associated preventive measures.

He announced that the Polio vaccination campaign would follow suit from 30th of November to 3rd of December.

Abdullazeez Adams Adeiza, Kogi State’s Commissioner for Health who also spoke at the ceremony, commended the immunization campaign initiative which he said would go a long way in providing protection for children against the killer disease.

He gave an assurance that the state government would not relent in providing necessary support to the immunization campaign activities in order to stop the spread of measles in all parts of the state.