The Anambra State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ASPHCDA) has extended its Integrated Measles-Rubella vaccination campaign by three days due to a temporary vaccine shortage and to reach schools that initially resisted the exercise.
State Health Educator Mrs. Uju Onwuegbuzina disclosed this during an interview in Awka on Thursday.
The campaign began on February 4 and was originally scheduled to end on February 13, followed by a two-day mop-up on February 14 and 15.
Onwuegbuzina explained that the state did not receive enough vaccine doses to cover the entire target population during the initial phase. The shortfall was addressed on February 21, enabling the agency to launch a fresh three-day mop-up operation.
“We are revisiting schools where we were unable to vaccinate eligible children due to vaccine shortage and initial resistance,” she said.
“Our target is to reach at least 95 per cent of the eligible population because immunization is the right of every child and critical to preventing measles and rubella infections,” Onwuegbuzina added.
The State Immunization Officer, Mrs. Edith Onwuka, confirmed that teams are returning to uncovered schools and expressed confidence that the campaign would conclude on Thursday.
Onwuka appealed to parents and school authorities to cooperate fully with health officials to ensure all eligible children receive the vaccine before the exercise ends.
The extension underscores ongoing efforts by the ASPHCDA to achieve high coverage in the measles-rubella campaign, addressing logistical hurdles and community resistance to protect children from vaccine-preventable diseases in Anambra State.
