Chairman of the Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Board (BASPHCDB), Dr Rilwanu Mohammed has disclosed that arrangements have been completed for the 2024 round of measles vaccination campaign which will commence on Saturday.
He therefore sought the support and cooperation of Journalists, particularly Health Reporters to project the importance of the measles vaccination for the U-5 children across the state.
Rilwanu Mohammed was speaking at a Media Orientation Meeting held in Bauchi as part of the preparations for the exercise stressing that creating awareness by the Journalists through their various channels is key to ensuring the success of the Measles campaign.
The EC also said that measles is one of the killer diseases afflicting U-5 children while the vaccination campaign is Government’s efforts aimed at reducing such deaths to the bearest minimum.
He further said that because of the importance of the Measles Campaign, it is expected that the State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed would flag off the vaccination campaign at the State level while Local Government Chairmen and their spouses will do the same in their respective LGAs.
Rilwanu Mohammed disclosed that the integrated Measles Vaccination exercise would target all eligible children in schools, motor parks, places of worship, markets, Tsangaya and quranic schools across the state.
He stressed that all key stakeholders that include traditional rulers, community leaders, religious clerics, school heads, teachers and tsangaya Mallams have been adequately briefed and mobilized about the planned campaign.
Also speaking, Director, Disease Control of the Board, Dr. Adamu Mohammed, said that measles is a contiguous disease that could be transmitted from one child to another.
He said that some of the symptoms of measles include, severe fever, flu, rashes and convulsions stressing that children who had completed their full immunization from birth rarely got afflicted with measles or any of the child killer diseases.
He called on caregivers to avail themselves by bringing their children to be vaccinated so as to protect their children from the dangers of all vaccines preventable diseases.
SOURCE: Tribune Online