Delta Health Agency begins measles vaccination advocacy

From: Osakhare Erese, Asaba

The Delta State Primary Health Care Development Agency has commenced advocacy visits to selected Local Government Areas on the upcoming measles vaccination campaign.
The advocacy visit is part of sensitization activities lined up to achieve targeted 95 percent coverage for the measles vaccination campaign beginning in March, 2018.
The State Health Educator, Mrs. Ijeoma Popo who confirmed this to journalists in Asaba yesterday where she began the advocacy visit, said that the local government areas were selected from the just concluded Maternal Neo Chiled Health Week where the projected coverage target was not reached, disclosing that six local governments in the state performed below average in the last campaign, hence the advocacy visit to ward leaders in the selected local government areas.
While appealing to mothers and care givers to avail their children and wards below five years of the immunization vaccine, she reiterated that vaccines are 100 percent safe and effective in preventing some killer diseases.
She dispelled the rumour that immunization causes Monkey Pox, saying that statistics revealed a decline in routine immunization as mothers withdrew children and wards for fear of contracting the Monkey Pox virus.
The health educator disclosed that the measles campaign, which will commence from March 1, 2018, was of importance to the state counterpart fund to ensure the success of the campaign.
Mrs. Lami Davis, UNICEF Social Mobilization Consultant while giving a health talk on Monkey pox and measles diseases, called on community leaders to be advocates of health issues, urging them to spread the importance of vaccination by engaging town announcers so that no eligible child would be left out.