18th January, 2011
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) is to immunise 50 million children against poliomyelitis and 31 million against measles from January 26 to January 30.
Dr. Muhammed Pate, Executive Secretary of the agency, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja that the exercise would be carried out in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“The agency will immunise 50 million children ages between 0 to five years for poliomyelitis, 31 million for measles ages between nine months to five years.
“In the first phase, measles and polio will run concurrently in the North, while only polio would be conducted in the Southern part of the country.
“The second phase will be from Feb.23 to Feb. 27 which will be the reverse of the first phase, measles and polio will take place simultaneously in the South while only polio will take place in the North,†he said.
The Executive Secretary said 55 million doses of Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) would be administered while 38 million doses of vaccine with corresponding injection materials would be used for measles.
Pate said the measles exercise was separated for effective supervision, noting, however, that it had been conducting a similar exercise since 2008.
He explained that the agency would work with relevant stakeholders and partners to ensure an effective surveillance system.
NAN reports that measles, an infection of the respiratory system, is caused by a virus. Its symptoms include fever, cough, running nose, red eyes and rash.
Measles is spread through respiration, for instance, contact with fluids from an infected person’s nose and mouth, and it is highly contagious.
NAN reports also that in 2010, Nigeria recorded only nine cases of polio compared to 388 cases in 2009.