Immunisation: Lagos introduces measles second dose

Oziegbe Okoeki

Lagos State Primary HealthCare Board (PHCB) in collaboration with the National Primary HealthCare Development Agency and other development partners have concluded arrangements to introduce measles second dose into the routine immunisation schedule across the state from today, Thursday.

Permanent Secretary PHCB, Dr. Tayo Lawal, who disclosed this yesterday, said the state government is collaborating with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and other development partners such as Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), WHO, UNICEF, Clinton Health Access Initiative, Save the children International, Rotary International and host of others.

He appealed to all parents to cooperate with Lagos State Government by bringing out their children as the vaccines are safe and available free of charge in all the public health care facilities of the State and as health delivery is one pillar in the Themes agenda of present administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu of Lagos State.

“The exercise will commence the introduction of measles second dose across all the 57 LGAs and LCDAs in the state effective from Thursday 14th November 2019.”

Read Also: Lagos, FIDC raise hope on Ilubirin project

Dr Lawal further stated that measles is an acute and highly infectious disease caused by the measles virus and it is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among children under the age of five years.

“Globally, an estimated 246 children die each day from measles, while majority of these children are from African countries, including Nigeria.”

He added that while widening immunity gaps exist in Nigeria, as evident by 17,000 cases of measles recorded this year, the use of measles vaccine has resulted in 84% reduction in measles deaths from year 2000 to 2016.

Dr Lawal posited that measles vaccine is one of the vaccine preventable diseases that are available in the health facilities across the Nation and measles as a vaccine preventable disease is an ailment that can be prevented by the administration of an antigen-vaccine.