The Nigerian
government has launched a large-scale campaign to vaccinate children in 19
northern states.
The campaign is part
of the effort to boost the immunity of children against measles and meningitis
in the country.
Measles is a highly
contagious viral disease. It remains a major cause of death among young
children globally, despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine.
The World Health
Organisation (WHO), in a statement said the government through the National
Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and WHO, with support from
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, kicked off the campaign to reach more than 28
million children with life-saving vaccines.
The states to benefit
from the campaign are Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Kano, Katsina, Plateau, Taraba, Niger,
Adamawa, Kaduna and Sokoto.
Others are Gombe Jigawa, Kebbi, Nasarawa,
Yobe, Zamfara, Kwara and the Federal Capital Territory.
