Jigawa Health Agency, Media Unite to Drive Measles-Rubella Vaccination Campaign

The Jigawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency (JSPHCDA) has engaged media practitioners in a sensitisation meeting to boost awareness and support for the forthcoming Measles-Rubella (MR) Vaccination Campaign.

Speaking at the one-day meeting held on Wednesday at the SERICC Conference Room in Dutse, the Acting State Immunisation Officer, Mr. Shehu Kazaure, emphasised the urgent need to strengthen immunisation efforts across the state. He disclosed that the campaign will take place in October across all 27 local government areas.

Kazaure highlighted the dangers of measles and rubella, noting that measles can lead to pneumonia, diarrhoea, and blindness, while rubella poses grave risks in pregnancy, including miscarriage and birth defects. He reassured parents of the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness, adding that it is part of Nigeria’s national immunisation programme supported by WHO and UNICEF.

He stressed the crucial role of the media in creating awareness, mobilising communities, and dispelling misconceptions. Representatives of various media organisations pledged their commitment to support the campaign. According to Comrade Zangina Kura, Chairman of the Jigawa State Correspondents Chapel, journalists will devote their platforms to raising awareness and ensuring accurate information reaches the public.

The meeting concluded with a joint resolve to provide regular updates and work collaboratively to ensure that the vaccine reaches every child in the state, with the ultimate goal of reducing measles and rubella cases in Jigawa.