More Than 40,000 Children Vaccinated Against Measles-Rubella in Makurdi Within Two Days

More than 46,842 children aged between nine months and 14 years have been vaccinated against Measles-Rubella in Makurdi Local Government Area within the first two days of the ongoing 10-day Integrated Immunisation Campaign, which began on October 18.

According to the Makurdi Local Government Immunisation Officer, Andrew Tartenger, the exercise will run until October 27, with two additional days set aside for mop-up activities.

Tartenger revealed that within the same period, over 47,305 children aged zero to 59 months also received the Novel Oral Polio Vaccine Type 2 (nOPV2). He added that the council received 228,980 doses of the Measles-Rubella vaccine, which were distributed across the 11 council wards.

Commending parents and caregivers for their impressive turnout, Tartenger attributed the success to the massive mobilisation and sensitisation efforts carried out before the campaign began. “The acceptance of the vaccines has been encouraging. With the level of turnout, we are confident of meeting and possibly surpassing our target,” he stated.

At the Makurdi Ultra Modern International Market, which currently shelters internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Yelewata in Guma LGA, over 766 children were vaccinated within the first three days.

Supervisor of the vaccination post at the camp, Benedicta Aboh, said, “We started on Saturday and immunised 250 children. On Sunday, we had 251, and by Monday, 264. The turnout is impressive, and there has been no resistance.”

Similarly, the Ward Focal Person for Ankpa/Wadata Ward, Grace Ande, noted that community engagement strategies helped eliminate past resistance to immunisation in Wadata. “We started mobilisation early, and religious leaders were key in spreading the message, especially in mosques,” she said. “Our projected target is 40,911 children, and we’re confident we will exceed it. We’re also visiting schools and worship centres to ensure no child is left out.”

She emphasised the significance of the campaign, stating, “This is the first time Rubella vaccination is being administered in Benue, and its benefits are enormous. I encourage all parents to bring out their children.”

The Executive Secretary of the Benue State Primary Health Care Board, Mrs. Grace Wende, represented by the State Immunisation Officer, Innocent Adega, described the programme as an integrated immunisation campaign covering both Measles-Rubella and routine immunisations.

Adega disclosed that the state deployed 1,110 fixed teams and 1,274 house-to-house teams across the 23 LGAs to ensure full coverage. In total, 2.7 million doses of Measles-Rubella vaccines and 2.3 million doses of Oral Polio Vaccines were received for the exercise across Benue State.

A mother, Mrs. Hadisa Adamu, who brought her baby for immunisation at Wadata Primary Health Centre, expressed gratitude to UNICEF, the Federal Government, and other partners for supporting the programme. “We’ve been told about the dangers of Rubella, including the risk of giving birth to children with health challenges,” she said. “That’s why we are ensuring every child within the age bracket is vaccinated. We appreciate everyone who made this possible.”