Measles kills 190 as 422 nabbed over fake COVID-19 vaccination cards

The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Ifedayo Adetifa, says there have been 18,577 confirmed cases of measles and 190 deaths as of week 35 in 36 states and Federal Capital Territory.  He said this in Abuja yesterday during the ministerial briefing and update on COVID-19 response and development in the health […]

Measles kills 190 as 422 nabbed over fake COVID-19 vaccination cards

The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Ifedayo Adetifa, says there have been 18,577 confirmed cases of measles and 190 deaths as of week 35 in 36 states and Federal Capital Territory. 

He said this in Abuja yesterday during the ministerial briefing and update on COVID-19 response and development in the health sector.

Represented by the Head of Response Division, Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Department at the NCDC, Dr. Olaolu Aderinola, he said: “There are 40 LGAs with active outbreak. We continue to support state responses to measles outbreaks.”

He said the impacts of COVID-19 continued to be felt across several other areas including the increase in the risk of measles and probable increase in yellow fever outbreaks due to delayed planned vaccination campaigns. 

Director, Port Health Services, Ministry of Health,  Geoffrey Okatubo, said 422 passengers were nabbed over fake COVID-19 vaccination cards in July and August.

He said 96 percent of passengers coming to Nigeria were COVID-19 vaccinated, but that a high number  of passengers coming and leaving the country turned up with  fake COVID-19 vaccination cards.

He said 176 of such cases were recorded at the Abuja International Airport in July and 246 at other airports in the country in August.