Osun State Government has announced plans to vaccinate more than two million children against measles and rubella as part of a statewide immunisation campaign aimed at strengthening child health and disease prevention.
The Commissioner for Health, Barrister Jola Akintola, disclosed that a total of 2,048,840 children have been targeted for the measles-Rubella vaccination exercise across the state’s 30 local government areas and area office, Modakeke.
Akintola made this disclosure during a press conference on the introduction of the Measles Rubella vaccination in Osun State on Tuesday.
According to the Commissioner, children between the ages of nine months and 14 years are eligible to receive the vaccine during the campaign, which is scheduled to run for ten days.
“This campaign provides an opportunity to engage parents, guardians and caregivers on the importance of the measles-rubella vaccine and its role in protecting children,” Akintola said.
He explained that the vaccination exercise is part of the state government’s commitment to safeguarding the health and welfare of its citizens, particularly children who are most vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases.
Barrister Akintola assured residents that there was no cause for alarm, noting that the Measles-Rubella vaccine is similar to other routine vaccines administered to children.
“Early prevention through vaccination remains the most effective approach, as it helps to strengthen the immune system of children,” he stated.
He outlined strategies for the campaign to include, “fixed-post vaccination at health facilities, school-based vaccination teams, house-to-house and community outreach services, mobile vaccination teams for underserved settlements, hard-to-reach and riverine communities.”
The Commissioner assured that the vaccines are safe and approved by the World Health Organisation, WHO, adding that they have been safely administered to millions of children globally.
He called on parents, guardians and other stakeholders to support what he described as a life-saving intervention by ensuring that every eligible child in Osun State is vaccinated.
Also speaking, the State Immunisation Officer, Mrs Francisca Olaore, said the campaign is targeted at children aged nine months to 14 years, with implementation scheduled from January 27 to February 5, 2026.
She added that two additional days would be set aside for mop-up activities to reach children who may have missed the initial phase, bringing the total duration of the exercise to 12 days.
Mrs Olaore described measles and rubella as highly contagious viral diseases that can cause severe complications in children, including pneumonia, diarrhoea, congenital rubella syndrome, blindness and deafness.
She assured that the vaccine is safe, noting that it has been available in the state since November and has been properly stored and managed at the state cold store.
“Measures are also in place to prevent adverse events following immunisation,” she said.
According to her, “a total of 814 health facilities across the state will participate in the exercise, with trained health workers deployed to administer the vaccine, while temporary fixed posts will also be identified and made conducive for the campaign.”
She urged parents, guardians, caregivers and communities to play their roles in ensuring wide coverage, while also calling for the dispelling of unfounded rumours, which she said often hinder the success of vaccination campaigns.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of the Osun State Primary Health Care Development Board, Dr Adesina Igbalaye, highlighted the importance of the forthcoming measles-rubella vaccination campaign, stressing that adequate preparations had been made to ensure effective implementation, including proper waste disposal to prevent environmental hazards.
Osun targets two million children in Measles Rubella vaccine campaign