With measles ranking as one of the leading causes of child mortality among vaccine-preventable diseases, the wife of Cross River State Governor, Eyoawan Otu has taken a critical step by launching a statewide vaccination campaign aimed at covering 95 percent of children in the state.
Addressing stakeholders at the flag-off ceremony held at a Primary Health Centre in Calabar, Eyoawan Otu emphasized the importance of immunizing children aged 9 to 59 months against measles.
Mrs Otu, an outspoken advocate of child health, who was represented at the Integrated Measles Vaccination Campaign by Special Adviser to the governor on Mainstreaming, Inyang Asibong, highlighted the campaign’s goal of reaching 95 percent vaccination coverage, to prevent future outbreaks.
She said the vaccine, which will be administered free of charge from October 12th to 20th, 2024, was not only safe but crucial in preventing life-threatening complications such as pneumonia, deafness, and brain infections.
The State Commissioner for Health, Henry Ayuk, emphasized that the state government was scaling up its strategies to either eliminate vaccines preventable diseases or reduce them to their lowest levels, with vaccination serving as a critical tool in safeguarding public health.
Also speaking at the event, the Director General, Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Vivien Mesembe outlined the campaign’s comprehensive approach.
In addition to targeting children aged 9 to 59 months with the measles vaccine, the campaign will also offer HPV vaccinations to girls between the ages of 9 and 14, while routine immunizations will continue as part of the ongoing efforts to protect the state’s population from vaccines preventable diseases.
Inemesit Ifiok, AIT
