Measles: Ondo Vaccinates 735,168 Children

By James Sowole in Akure

No fewer than 735,158 children got vaccination against measles during the March 2018 exercise in Ondo State.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Wahab Adegbenro, disclosed the figure in Akure, while giving facts on immunisation activities in Ondo State during an event to mark the 2018 African Vaccination Week.

The commissioner also stated that a total of 14, 484 children were vaccinated in Ondo State in the month of February 2018 which is about 89 per cent of the monthly target population using the Penta 3 Vaccine as a yardstick.

Adegbenro said the 2018 African Immunisation Week has as its Nigerian theme ‘Vaccination Work, Be An Immunisation Champion’.

He said the week would involve special immunisation outreach services to be conducted for three days by all 33 primary health facilities in Akoko South West Local Government areas of the state.

According to the commissioner, Akoko South West Local Government was chosen for the commemorative activities because of its sub-optimal performance in routine immunisation for the months of January and February 2018 when compared to other council areas.

Adegbenro explained that vaccination is free in all public health facilities in Ondo State.

The commissioner, who highlighted various various immunisations that are available for children and the schedules, said the state apart from the routine exercise, had been participating in all supplementary immunisation exercises.

“Ondo State Government believes in the sanctity of Routine Immunisation in the collective drive to keep Vaccine Preventive Diseases at bay. We shall continue to support the federal government’s initiatives in this regard,” he said.

Adegbenro said the governor regularly offers logistic support to all the 583 primary healthcare facilities offering immunisation services in the state through the Ondo State Primary Healthcare Development Board.

He said the board was the one that was mandated to coordinate all immunisation services across the state.

Adegbenro therefore enjoined parents in the Akoko South West Local Government to make their children within the vaccination ages available for the programme.