• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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BusinessDay

Ogun vaccinates U-5 children against measles, infectious diseases amid COVID-19 pandemic 

Child-immunisation

Amid the increasing number of Coronavirus cases across the World with attendant challenges recorded against economy and healthy living, Ogun state government has begun vaccination in all its primary health centres meant to prevent measles and other infectious diseases among the under five (U-5) children.

This immunization exercise, according to the official statement emanated from the State Primary Healthcare Development Board, will be undertaken during COVID-19 lockdown and free days across the primary health centres located in all 20 local government areas of the state.

Speaking at a Media Orientation Meeting on Increasing Denand for Measles and other Routine Immunization Vaccines, Primary Healthcare Interventions and Coronavirus Containment at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta Government Secretariat, Elijah Ogunsola, executive secretary, Ogun State Primary Healthcare Development Board, noted that  immunization of children mustn’t stop during the lockdown as this would help fighting measles and infectious diseases among infants and children.

Ogunsola however advised mothers and caregivers to present their children and wards for the first and second doses of measles vaccine at nine and 15 months respectively, for them to fully gain required immunity against the disease,  saying that the Dapo Abiodun-led administration in the state had made huge investment in child health to ensure that the vaccine was made available in all public health facilities at no cost.

He said measles is an highly contagious, but preventable disease that could cause permanent disabilities as well as death among under five children, just as he urged the parents to take the immunisation of their children and wards more seriously.

Earlier, the Acting General Manager, Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation (OGBC), Toyin Sogbesan enjoined participants present to demystify fears, doubts, uncertainty and anxieties of the general public on measles vaccination and other health interventions through dissemination of accurate information on the safety and advantages of full immunisation against the disease, emphasising that they (participants) play key role in promoting healthy behaviour among residents of the state.

Also speaking, the Chairman, State Mobilization and Technical Committee, Lanre Ogunyinka noted that the role of the media in information management is critical to harnessing and cultivating positive behavioural  attitude towards vaccination and other health interventions, adding that participants should form the right attitude to impact the audience positively in order to get the right feedback.