Lagos State Celebrates Milestone Success in Measles and Yellow Fever Vaccination Campaign
… Records 95 per cent vaccination rate
… To begin Polio Outbreak Response
campaign from January 18 to 22, 2025
The Lagos State Government has recorded unprecedented success in its 2024 Measles and Yellow Fever Integrated Vaccination Campaign, marking a significant milestone in its public health efforts.
The campaign, which ran from October 19, 2024, targeted vaccine-preventable diseases, including measles, yellow fever, and Human Papillomavirus (HPV), and achieved remarkable outcomes despite notable challenges.
The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Health District 4, and the Supervising Permanent Secretary for the Primary Healthcare Board, Dr. Abimbola Bowale, disclosed this on Tuesday during a press briefing held in Alausa, Ikeja, to inform the populace about the success of the exercise.
Dr. Bowale revealed that over the course of the campaign, 3,595,461 children were vaccinated against measles, achieving 85% coverage, while 20,366,405 residents received the yellow fever vaccine, representing 95% coverage. Additionally, 163,553 eligible individuals were vaccinated against HPV.
The campaign, he said, employed innovative strategies, including GIS-based micro-planning, community engagement through advocacy visits, town hall meetings, house-to-house campaigns, and leveraging social media influencers to combat misinformation and vaccine hesitancy.
The Permanent Secretary noted that the State Government used several channels of engagement to counter untrue information about the vaccines being peddled on social media.
According to him, the media, religious and traditional rulers, NGOs, CDAs, CDCs, and other opinion influencers in society were engaged periodically to seek their buy-in before the commencement of the vaccination exercise.
Speaking on the authenticity of the percentage of success recorded during the vaccination campaign, Dr. Bowale noted that independent monitors were also engaged by the State Government to validate the figures, and they were affirmed to be accurate.
Dr. Bowale noted that despite some initial logistical hurdles experienced during the vaccination campaign, including delays in vaccine supply and limited cold chain infrastructure, data-driven planning and adaptive strategies helped mitigate these issues.
He underscored the need for sustained efforts to maintain Lagos State’s polio-free status, with plans to conduct a Polio Outbreak Response campaign from January 18 to 22, 2025.
He urged residents to support upcoming vaccination campaigns and remain committed to creating a healthier and more resilient state.
“Immunization remains a cornerstone of our healthcare system. Together, we can build a future free from the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases. We must remain vigilant to protect the gains achieved in our fight against vaccine-preventable diseases,” the official said, highlighting the recent resurgence of polio in parts of Africa as a reminder of the risks of complacency.
The Special Adviser on Health, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, in her remarks, thanked all relevant stakeholders and partners working with the State Government in the health sector, including WHO, UNICEF, GAVI, and community-based organizations, as well as the dedication of healthcare workers and the active participation of Lagos residents.
She expressed satisfaction with the success rate of the vaccination, saying that several lives have been touched through the exercise.
“The Government has not only saved countless lives but has also taken bold steps to prevent outbreaks of diseases.”
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Segun Ogboye, lauded the visionary leadership of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in onboarding the State Ministry of Health with the appointment of Permanent Secretaries to oversee the various health districts across the State.
He noted that the successes recorded in the vaccination exercise further justify the appointment of the Permanent Secretaries in the health districts to promote healthcare delivery at the grassroots.
Ogboye also thanked Lagosians for embracing the vaccination exercise en masse despite misinformation and disinformation on social media about the efficacy and potency of the vaccines.
He thanked all other relevant stakeholders who made the campaign a huge success, including the media and various partners of the Ministry, while also appealing to them to ensure the next Polio Outbreak Response campaign is equally successful.
The campaign’s phased implementation covered densely populated areas with high disease burdens in the first phase and extended to less-populated areas in the second phase.
All the Permanent Secretaries in the six Health Districts were in attendance at the Press Briefing and some key partners of the Ministry of Health
