The Women Advocates for Vaccine Access (WAVA) and other civil society organisations have called on Nigerian parents, mothers and caregivers to take their children between the ages of nine months and five years to approved government health centres to receive measles vaccination.
The nationwide measles vaccination exercise commenced this month and would end in March 2018.
The CSOs include: Vaccine Network for Disease Control, Centre for Project Development and Grassroots Empowerment (CEPDEGEM), Citizens’ Health Education and Development Initiative (CHEDI) and Development and Integrity Intervention Goal Foundation (DIG), among others.
In a statement signed by the national convener of the organisation, Dr. Chizoba Wonodi, the CSOs said vaccination remains one of the most effective public health interventions as it prevents diseases, and provides immunity for children.
They said measles vaccination coverage has remained low over the years despite the gains by the Nigerian government to provide safe and cost-effective vaccines.
They said that all vaccines used in Nigeria meet international standards and quality set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and have been certified by the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
Meanwhile Mrs Chika Offor, Chief Executive Officer of Vaccine Network for Disease Control has said that immunisation was key to protecting children from pneumonia.
