Anambra State Government, through the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, ANSPHCDA, has commenced the second phase of the integrated measles immunization campaign, which is targeted at covering four Local Government Areas affected by the flood.
The second phase, which started on November 16, 2024, and will end on November 26, covers Anambra East, Anambra West, Ogbaru, and Ayamelum LGAs.
The campaign is a bi-annual event implemented by 24 states of the federation. Its goal is to immunize children nine to fifty-nine months with a potent measles vaccine.
Speaking with our correspondent in Awka, Mrs Edith Onwuka, the State Immunization Officer, SIO, Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, said during the pre-event planning and other pre-implementation activities, the agency proactively divided the LGAs into two based on their peculiarities.
According to her, Anambra East, Anambra West, Ogbaru, and Ayamelum, which have flooding challenges that limit accessibility to the hard-to-reach areas, were set for later. At the same time, the campaign started with the other 17 LGAs.
Onwuka revealed that the campaign started with the other 17 LGAs on November 6th and ended on November 17th. It was a huge success, as no LGA scored below 95 percent in immunization coverage.
“Although we had some challenges which included vaccine rejection and non-compliance due to beliefs and misconceptions, logistics issues, and inadequate manpower, we were able to surmount them.
“Also, the campaign was successful in phase one because qualified health workers were used,” she said.
The ANSPHCDA SIO stressed that the state’s goal was to reach every eligible child regardless of where they are in the state. The second phase, covering the four remaining LGAs, started on Saturday, November 16th, and will end on November 26th.
She said the LGAs are regarded as hard-to-reach areas, and provisions have been made for the immunization teams to access them.
On suspected cases of measles reported in Awka North LGA, where the vaccination was just concluded, Onwuka noted that some of the suspected cases may not be, informing that many illnesses manifest the same symptoms as measles but come out negative for measles when subjected to laboratory testing.
However, she said the state Disease Surveillance will be alerted to investigate cases and collect samples, assuring that a mop-up exercise will address the gap if the cases are confirmed.
She further explained that getting measles immunization does not mean that children will not have symptoms of measles, but it will ensure that the disease does not pose any danger.
According to her, immunization is done annually to give the community herd immunity and ward off sicknesses when they come.
