As the Ondo State Government commences its measles vaccination campaign this weekend, alongside other states in the zone and Edo State, media practitioners have been urged to amplify messages about immunisation to protect children from the debilitating effects of polio and other preventable diseases.

A total of 924,119 children are being targeted for immunisation against child killer diseases in Ondo State.

UNICEF’s Social and Behavioural Change Specialist, Aderonke Akinola Akinwole, made the call during her presentation at a one-day Zonal Media Orientation on Non-Polio Supplemental Immunisation Integrated Activities (NPSIA), held in Oyo Town, Oyo State.

She stated that “a child who is not vaccinated today poses a significant threat to others,” adding that media practitioners must amplify immunisation messages to protect children from the crippling effects of polio and other preventable diseases.

Polio and measles, which are debilitating diseases that spread rapidly through communities, can be prevented by a simple, life-saving vaccine. Yet, in some parts of Nigeria, misinformation and disinformation have led to vaccine hesitancy, leaving children vulnerable not only to polio but to a range of other diseases. The consequences of inaction are far-reaching.

“Unvaccinated children can become carriers of the virus, potentially spreading it in schools, playgrounds, and communities, resulting in severe illness and irreversible damage,” Mrs Akinwole said, reminding the audience that ensuring children are vaccinated is not only an act of personal responsibility but one of collective protection. “It’s about safeguarding the entire community,” she added.

Presenting an overview of the integrated SIAs, the Deputy State Health Educator, Ondo State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Mrs Olubunmi Obaromi, reiterated the state government’s commitment to ensuring the effective implementation of the measles campaign.

She disclosed that the state is targeting a total of 924,119 children during the campaign.

Obaromi noted that the state has carried out advocacy visits to relevant stakeholders, held sensitisation meetings with education stakeholders, and organised a town hall meeting with religious leaders, traditional leaders, opinion leaders, medical unions, Iyalaje/Iyaloja, women’s groups, community-based organisations (CBOs), faith-based organisations (FBOs), military and paramilitary personnel, among others.

According to her, a total of 203 wards have been engaged in community dialogues, and town announcements have been made in all communities. Market sensitisation and rallies have also been conducted.

Additionally, the State Primary Health Care Development Agency’s immunisation officer, Mrs Justinah Yetunde Aladesuyi, stated that the state team recently returned from national training for trainers.

According to her, similar training is being held in Akure, the state capital, to train the LGA teams, which comprise the Primary Health Care Coordinators, State Technical Facilitators, Local Immunisation Officers, Cold Chain Officers, Disease Surveillance Officers, Health Information Officers, and Social Mobilisation Officers from all local government areas of Ondo State.

“They will then cascade the training in their respective LGAs and wards to train the ward focal persons, vaccinators, recorders, and town announcers for the implementation of the measles campaign. All the data tools and measles vaccines have been distributed to all the LGAs in the state,” she confirmed.

She further explained that the target age for measles vaccination is 9 to 59 months, representing 17 percent of the total population. The target age for routine immunisation, she added, is 0 to 23 months, affirming the state’s readiness for the measles campaign.

Other states that also expressed their readiness for the campaign include Osun, Ogun, Ekiti, and Oyo.