Apapa, Lagos Island, Mainland, Surulere drive 95% vaccination success in measles-rubella campaign
The Permanent Secretary of Lagos State Health District IV, Dr. Abimbola Bowale, has announced that the district recorded 95 per cent coverage during its routine immunisation exercise across four Local Government Areas — Apapa, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland and Surulere.
Dr. Bowale disclosed that the district set a target of 1,108,811 children for the measles-rubella vaccination campaign and successfully immunised 1,056,908 children aged 0 to 14 years, earning a 95 per cent rating on the state’s vaccination summary table.
He described the performance as a significant milestone in the district’s efforts to safeguard children against preventable diseases and strengthen public health outcomes.
According to him, measles and rubella vaccines are critical in protecting children from highly contagious and potentially life-threatening infections, offering long-lasting immunity and reducing mortality rates.
He added that the vaccines help prevent severe complications such as pneumonia, blindness and encephalitis, while also protecting unborn babies from rubella-induced birth defects and limiting the risk of outbreaks.
The Director of Planning, Research and Statistics for the district, Dr. Titilayo Oni, presented a breakdown of the vaccination figures across the four councils.
She stated that Apapa vaccinated 111,854 children; Lagos Island, 209,740; Lagos Mainland, 266,190; and Surulere, 469,124, bringing the district’s total to 1,056,908 vaccinated children.
The measles and rubella campaign, flagged off by the state government in January, targets children aged 0 to 14 years across all communities in the district as part of efforts to prevent outbreaks and ensure a healthier future for residents.
