Kwara state governor Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq says the introduction of Second Dose Measles Vaccine into Routine Immunization Schedule aligns with the quest of the kwara state government to avoid preventable illness and deaths among the vulnerable population especially children less than five years of age .
Abdulrazaq who stated this at the flag-off of introduction of Second Dose Measles vaccine into Routine Immunization schedule in kwara state at Pakata Health center ,Ilorin on Monday said “the Federal Government of Nigeria through the NPHCDA/FMOH in collaboration with partners and donors introduced second dose Measles vaccination into the country’s EPI schedule in the 19 Northern states”.
Represented at the occasion by the Commissioner for Communication,Harriet Adenike Afolabi Oshatimehin ,Abdulrazaq said “our administration has remained committed to delivering quality healthcare services evidenced by the political support and consistent funding being provided”.He commended the unrelenting efforts of the Kwara State Primary HealthCare Services providers and their staff across the 16 LGEAs of the state .
In her remarks ,Executive Secretary ,Kwara state Primary Health Care Development Agency Dr. Nusirat Elelu said the action plan is in line with Nigeria’s immunization and Primary Health Care guiding document that is the national Strategy for Immunization and PHC system .
According to Elelu “this introduction of 2nd Dose measles at 15month of age is coming at the right time as we are approaching the season when diseases like Measles and other Respiratory infections have increased incident”.
Elelu called on mothers and caregivers to use the opportunity to ensure that their eligible children i.e children below 2 years of age get vaccinated as it is the cheapest way to prevent avoidable illness and death among children under five years of age and also save cost and time dissipated in taking care of children who suffer from preventable illness .
Director of Primary Health care system at the Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency Dr. Michael Oguntoye in his remarks said “today’s program is significant in the sense that it ushers in the second dose of measles vaccine into our routine immunization system in Kwara state , before no we give measles vaccination at nine months , but we discovered that not all the children have access to the vaccines at that time and of the people that have access, some don’t seroconvert and some of them still come down with measles, so this second dose measles vaccine will provide opportunity for children that miss the first dose and will also ensure that we are able to get seroconversion among those ones we got at nine months “.
The intensification is to take place between 7th- 11th December 2020.
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