Measles: Ogun to deploy over 5000 health workers for vaccination campaign

The Ogun State government has announced that it will deploy over 5,000 health personnel to various areas of the state for its 2024 measles campaign.

This health workers, according to the state government, will immunise one million children between the ages of nine months and five years across the 20 local government areas of the state.

The Commissioner for Health, Tomi Coker, stated this during a press conference on the state’s Implementation of 2024 Integrated Measles Campaign, on Thursday in Abeokuta.

She disclosed that the seven-day exercise would run from Saturday October 19 to Friday October 25.

Coker explained that measles vaccinations are essential because unvaccinated children run the risk of developing blindness, brain damage, and a high fever that can cause seizures and deformity.

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The Commissioner emphasised the state government’s efforts in reducing measles worldwide, pointing out that the state’s 2022 campaign resulted in a significant drop in confirmed measles cases from 118 in October 2022 to 15 in the same period in 2024.

She said, “The campaign conducted two years ago in the state led to a marked reduction in the number of confirmed Measles cases from 118 as at October 2022 to 15 at the same period in 2024. There has also been a drop of Yellow Fever confirmed cases from 3 in October 2022 to 0 confirmed case same period in 2024.(WHO, Ogun State)

“The Measles campaign this year is targeting, approximately 1,136,953 children 9 months to 59months spread across the 20 LGAs from the 19 to 25 October 2024.”

Coker noted that the flagged off would begin of Friday at Saint Peters Anglican Primary School, Siun, in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of the state by 11:00 am.

The commissioner, while noting that the immunization is free, urged parents and caregivers to take advantage of the initiative by taking their children to the designated centers across the 236 wards of the State.

“I would also like to inform us that the campaign will involve the use of Government Health Facilities (Primary Secondary and Tertiary), Churches, Mosques, Market, Schools, Parks and Garages, and other designated temporary fixed posts.

“I am using this medium to call on parents and caregivers to take advantage of the campaign by taking their children 9 months to 59 months to get their children vaccinated against this killer but preventable disease namely measles the vaccine is safe, effective and free of charge,” she said.