Ogun to vaccinate 2.9m children against measles, rubella

The Executive Secretary of the Ogun State Primary Healthcare Board, Dr Elijah Ogunsola, on Tuesday disclosed the state government’s plan to vaccinate 2.9 million children aged nine months to 14 years against Measles and Rubella (MR).

Speaking at a stakeholders’ engagement held at the board’s conference room in the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, Dr Ogunsola explained that the campaign, which will run from January 20 to 29, 2026, aims to significantly reduce the high number of measles cases recorded in the state last year.

Rubella, also known as German measles, is a contagious viral disease that presents similarly to measles but is generally milder.

Symptoms include rash, running nose, cough, and red, watery eyes. However, the disease poses serious risks, particularly for pregnant women, and can lead to Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS), which may cause blindness, deafness, heart defects, or brain damage in newborns.

Dr Ogunsola said, “This is not a house-to-house campaign. What we are doing is a settlement-to-settlement campaign. We shall identify a central place in each settlement where our team of six personnel will vaccinate children from nine months to 14 years.”

He added, “Our target is to reach 20,000 settlements and vaccinate 2.9 million children during this exercise. We are deploying over 7,000 personnel for this MR vaccine campaign.

“The vaccination team will be stationed at designated points, not more than 500 metres apart, so parents will not have to travel far to get their children vaccinated.”

The Executive Secretary noted that the campaign would end on February 1, 2026. Children who reach the nine-month age bracket after the campaign will be vaccinated at health centres.

“During the MRV campaign, we would have covered those up to 14 years. Children beginning to turn nine months after the exercise can get vaccinated at our health centres,” he said.

Dr Ogunsola said the campaign will target schools, churches, and mosques to ensure all eligible children are reached. He reassured the public about the safety of the MR vaccine, urging parents to participate without fear.

He also called on the media to partner with the government and development partners to ensure the success of the exercise.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Rubella is becoming a major health concern in Nigeria due to its risk of causing CRS in newborns. This has prompted nationwide MR vaccination campaigns since late 2025, with the goal of elimination by 2030.

Peak cases usually occur between January and April, predominantly affecting children under 15 years.