In order to protect Children and fortify them against the spread of measles in Ogun State, the state government through the State Primary Healthcare Board has embarked on massive campaign for mothers not to resist health workers from administering vaccination on their children.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Babatunde Ipaye who disclosed this in Abeokuta on Thursday, said the state embarked on the proactive measure in order to guide against untimely death among the children in the state.
The commissioner said that the campaign, in collaboration with partners, would take place from March 1 to March 13 in all the Primary Health Centres across the state.
He said that other designated places for the campaign were schools, religious houses, market places and motor parks.
Measles is a childhood infection caused by a virus. Once quite common, it can now almost always be prevented with a vaccine. Signs and symptoms of measles include cough, runny nose, inflamed eyes, sore throat, fever and a red, blotchy skin rash.
“It can be serious and even fatal for small children. While death rates have been falling worldwide as more children receive the measles vaccine, the disease still kills more than 100,000 people a year, most under the age of 5 and the simplest way of eliminating it is through immunisation.’’ Ipaye said.
“The vaccine is good for the body of the children and it will not cause them any harm as being speculated by the forth columnists”, he said.
He advised parents to make their children between 9 months to 59 months available during the exercise, especially those who missed or did not complete the routine immunisation programme, urging people to engage in constant and regular check-up to ensure a measles free society.
He also appealed to community and religious leaders to assist the government in sensitising their people about the advantages of the programme.
