Katsina state government says it has vaccinated no fewer than 1,876,781 children during its recent vaccination exercise across the state, resulting in 103 percent coverage.
The Executive Secretary of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Shamsuddeen Yahaya, disclosed this in an interview in Katsina.
According to the executive secretary, the state government had earlier targeted vaccinating about 1,826,256 children aged between nine and 59 months.
He said that 1,983,260 vaccines were used during the exercise, and 6 percent wastage, 729 non-serious adverse events following vaccination (AEFI), and zero AEFI were recorded.
“The exercise started on October 28, 2023, and lasted seven days, covering 34 local government areas (LGAs) and all 361 wards of the state.
“Measles is a viral infection that’s serious for small children, but it’s easily preventable by a vaccine.
“The disease spreads through the air by respiratory droplets produced from coughing or sneezing, and it can lead to serious complications like malnutrition, blindness, and even death if not treated early,” Yahaya explained.
He pointed out that the campaign was in collaboration with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Others that supported the exercise are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), E-Health, and other development partners.
