Ogun State Government has launched a week-long Measles-Rubella (MR) Vaccination Campaign as part of renewed efforts to protect children against the deadly and preventable diseases.
The campaign, which was officially flagged off in Abeokuta, is expected to vaccinate no fewer than three million children aged between nine months and 14 years across the 20 Local Government Areas of the state.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, the First Lady of Ogun State, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun, described the initiative as a bold declaration of the state’s commitment to safeguarding the health and future of its children.
“This gathering is a declaration of our collective resolve to say ‘No More’ to diseases that steal the future of our sons and daughters,” she said.
Mrs. Abiodun noted that global and local health data continued to rank measles and rubella among the leading causes of preventable childhood illness and death, particularly in areas with low immunisation coverage.
She added that the integrated campaign would run until February 5, 2026.
According to her, although global measles-related deaths have dropped by 88 per cent since 2000, the disease still claimed an estimated 95,000 lives last year, most of them children under the age of five.
The First Lady warned parents and caregivers against allowing fear or misinformation to undermine the immunisation exercise, stressing that measles and rubella are not minor childhood illnesses but serious conditions that could lead to pneumonia, brain damage, blindness, deafness, and in the case of rubella, miscarriage, stillbirth and Congenital Rubella Syndrome.
“Sadly, about 80 per cent of these deaths occur in Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean. These are preventable conditions, yet they continue to threaten the lives and wellbeing of our children where vaccination coverage is inadequate,” she said.
She described the MR vaccine as “one of the safest, most effective and affordable public health interventions available.”
In her remarks, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, said the campaign was in line with national health priorities, noting that the Federal Government, through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), approved the introduction of the MR vaccine into Nigeria’s Routine Immunisation Schedule following the persistent burden of measles-rubella in the country.
Dr. Coker disclosed that Ogun State had targeted the vaccination of over 2.9 million eligible children during the campaign, which runs from January 27 to February 5, 2026.
She explained that the key objectives of the exercise included reducing childhood morbidity and mortality, preventing Congenital Rubella Syndrome in newborns, and strengthening disease surveillance and routine immunisation systems across the state.
“Measles-Rubella remains one of the leading causes of childhood mortality globally and poses severe risks to pregnant women, often resulting in lifelong complications for the unborn child.
“The Measles-Rubella Vaccination Campaign aligns perfectly with our vision of ensuring that no child is left behind in the fight against vaccine-preventable diseases,” she said.
Speaking on behalf of the World Health Organization (WHO), Laura Niclochlainn commended the Ogun State Government for its extensive preparations, describing the state’s campaign as one of the most robust globally.
She disclosed that over 100 million children had been vaccinated in Nigeria, adding that global strategies were being deployed to eliminate measles-rubella worldwide.
“At a global level, we have developed strategies, policies and surveillance systems to monitor progress towards eliminating measles-rubella. It is encouraging to see Nigeria deploying this vaccine. Let’s keep the coverage high,” she said.
In his closing remarks, the Executive Secretary of the Ogun State Primary Health Care Development Board, Dr. Elijah Ogunsola, appreciated development partners for their support and urged parents and guardians across the state to present their children for the vaccination.
