Kaduna begins measles, rubella vaccination campaign, targets 4.2m children

The Kaduna state government, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has launched an integrated measles and rubella vaccination campaign targeting over 4.2 million children across the state.

The 10-day exercise, which began on October 18, is part of national efforts to curb vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, rubella, and polio.

The campaign is being implemented across all 23 LGAs of the state.

In addition to measles and rubella vaccines, the campaign includes oral polio vaccination, deworming, and the distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets.

Speaking at the official flag-off ceremony held at the Badarawa Primary Healthcare Centre in Kaduna, Suleiman Mohammed, WHO’s data officer, described the initiative as a “golden opportunity” for families to protect their children from deadly but preventable diseases.

“As we all know, measles is a deadly disease, and many cases are being reported across the state and other parts of the region. This campaign gives us a chance to change that narrative,” he said.

Mohammed said over 2,000 supervisors have been deployed across the state to monitor the vaccination process and ensure a swift response to any challenges.

He urged communities to report vaccine hesitancy or service gaps for immediate intervention.

Also speaking, Hamza Ikara, Kaduna state director of disease control and immunisation, said the state accounts for 10 of Nigeria’s 100 zero-dose LGAs, communities where children have never received any form of vaccination.

“Nigeria has 100 local government areas affected by the zero-dose challenge, and Kaduna accounts for 10 of them, representing nearly 10% of the national total,” he said.

He said more than 4,000 zero-dose children have already been identified in the state, with the number steadily reducing due to the expanded outreach efforts by development partners.

“For this campaign, we are targeting 4.2 million children between the ages of 9 months and 14 years,” he added.