Lagos, UNICEF Partner To Vaccinate 18 Million Children And Adults Against HPV, Measles, Yellow Fever, Others

….Set To Launch Statewide Immunization Campaign

Lagos State Government in partnership with UNICEF  is set to embark on state-wide Vaccinations of over 18 million children and adults under its Non-Polio Supplemental Immunisation Activities (NPSIA), among others.

The immunization exercise which is slated for Saturday, October 19, 2024, will be held in all 57 Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas ( LCDAs)

Permanent Secretary of Lagos State Primary Healthcare Board, Dr. Abimbola Bowale disclosed this to journalists at a Media Orientation on Non-Polio Supplemental Immunisation Activities and Integrated Yellow Fever campaign on Monday in Lagos.

Bowale said 85 percent of Lagosians from nine months to 44 years will receive yellow booster doses during the vaccination exercise being organised by the Ministry of Information and Strategy and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), He identified other vaccines to be given including; measles vaccines- from nine months to 18 months, HPV vaccines against cervical cancer that covers from nine years to 14 years, and polio among other routine immunization.

“The goal of the Lagos State Government is to ensure that people get immunity against preventable diseases and the only way to do it is to ensure that at least 95 percent of the eligible population receive the measles vaccine and 80 percent of the eligible population receive the yellow fever vaccine.

“I also want to assure Lagosians that the vaccines are safe and through them, we can prevent a lot of preventable diseases from maiming and killing our people. We are looking at about 95 percent coverage of the population of Lagos.

“I urge all the media houses to use their platforms to send out our message by informing the public about the benefits of these supplemental immunizations and that safety protocols can significantly boost participation and trust in these health initiatives.

” Let us work together and ensure that no child is left behind, that every mother is reassured, and that every community understands the indispensable value of these immunization efforts”, he said

Also speaking with journalists, the Immunisation Programme Coordinator of Lagos State Primary Health Care, Dr. Akinpelu Adetola said the state-wide immunization campaign was necessary because, over the past two to three years, there have been several outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles, yellow fever, diphtheria, and recently cholera outbreak

He noted that the outbreaks of these diseases are indications that there’s immunity gap in the community; saying that the easiest way to close those gaps was to have a state-wide immunization activity while ramping up routine immunization process in the states.

According to him, the State Government plans to vaccinate 85% of the population against Yellow Fever which will give roughly about 21 million or more people to be vaccinated, assuring that they’ll mobilize enough qualified healthcare workers who will provide these vaccines.

Finally, Mrs.Aderonke Akinola Akinwole, Social and Behavioral Change Specialist of UNICEF noted that there’s need for people to do away with myths and misconceptions about vaccination which are capable of resulting in unfounded rumours, misinformation, reduction of trust, and rejections.

”The vaccination is for the health benefit of Nigerians as well as to check preventable diseases that cause health disorders and eventually lead to untimely death.

”There’s a need for Lagosians to embrace the forthcoming vaccination exercise and avoid myths and misconceptions about vaccination which often leads to rumours, misinformation, and reduction of trust thereby leading to an increase in the outbreak of vaccine-preventable diseases, increased child mobility, and mortality, depopulation, chronic terminal disease and reduction in fertility.