Stakeholders urged to expand measles-rubella vaccination campaign to grassroots

The Centre for Well-Being and Integrated Nutrition Solutions (C-WINS) has enjoined stakeholders in the health sector to extend the measles-rubella vaccination campaign to the grassroots. The Head of Mission for the Advocacy Project at C-WINS, Dr Mahmud Zubairu, in a statement yesterday said the low measles-rubella vaccination coverage in Nigeria underscores the urgent need for […]

The Centre for Well-Being and Integrated Nutrition Solutions (C-WINS) has enjoined stakeholders in the health sector to extend the measles-rubella vaccination campaign to the grassroots.

The Head of Mission for the Advocacy Project at C-WINS, Dr Mahmud Zubairu, in a statement yesterday said the low measles-rubella vaccination coverage in Nigeria underscores the urgent need for effective communication strategies that reach all parts of the country, and raise awareness about the importance of vaccination.

He said low vaccination coverage could lead to increased deaths and disabilities, particularly among children.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease and has been listed as an important cause of death amongst young children globally.  Measles outbreaks have also continued to ravage children in the country.

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Rubella is a highly contagious viral disease that spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Like measles, rubella continues to have devastating health effects in Nigeria, leading to deaths and lifelong birth defects in children.

Quoting media reports, Dr Zubairu said an outbreak in Adamawa last year killed 24 persons,  affected two local government areas, with about 200 suspected cases recorded.

He said, “Measles cases have been reported nationwide, with many confirmed cases in Borno State, which has been battling insurgency for more than 10 years. There have been two large measles outbreaks in the North-West and North-East zones between 2012 and 2021.”

Dr Zubairu emphasised that if not properly managed, measles and rubella could lead to serious complications that may lead to death and disabilities.

He, however, noted that adequate vaccination could stem the spread of the diseases and prevent deaths and disabilities.

The expert said while the “measles vaccine has been part of the country’s immunisation schedule since the launch of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation—now the Essential Programme on Immunisation—in 1979, the rubella vaccine has not been included in public health facilities’ routine immunisation schedule.”

In lieu of this, a measles-rubella vaccination campaign, is slated for 2025.

The centre urged all families, especially market women, to ensure their children receive this life-saving vaccine. It also stressed that vaccination campaigns must reinforce the message that both measles and rubella are preventable through immunisation and that these diseases can lead to death or lifelong complications such as blindness and pneumonia.

He said, “For vaccines to effectively prevent diseases, communities must achieve herd immunity. This ensures that even unvaccinated children are protected when a disease is introduced, thanks to the immunity of vaccinated individuals. However, this level of protection can only be achieved with very high vaccination coverage.”

Meanwhile, Dr Lukman Ismaila, an epidemiologist from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), had earlier revealed that Nigeria records over 10,000 measles cases annually, underscoring the urgent need for improved vaccination coverage.