UNICEF, NPHCDA, Others Gather Volunteers for Integrated Vaccination Exercise 

UNICEF, in partnership with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), international health organisations–WHO–and other agencies are set to launch an integrated vaccination exercise across all Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Lagos State.

The vaccination exercise is focused on measles, a highly infectious, viral disease that is especially severe in infants but will also involve dispensing routine immunisation and Vitamin A to relevant young age groups, while seizing the advantage to encourage parents and adults, young and old, to immunise against COVID-19. 

At a news conference yesterday, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, said five million children are targeted to be immunised during the 16-day implementation.

“The measles vaccine will be provided to children aged 9 to 59 months with Vitamin A supplements for children aged 6-59 months. Routine immunisation services will also be available from birth up to 23 months, while COVID-19 vaccination will also be available for adults 18 years and above, as part of our integrated vaccination campaign approach,” he said.

Nonetheless, essential to this program are citizen volunteers who can help in the less technical, non-medical process(es) of the program. Therefore, the planning bodies have sought to convene these volunteers in all LGAs in the state and on June 15 trained them on basic vaccination data collection and processing.

At one of such trainings in the Kosofe area of Lagos, a trainer, Olajuwon Akinola, shared more about the work of the volunteers:

“Everybody is working in different [Local Government] wards. Somebody might be at my door, another person might be at Kosofe, Orile Agege, Agboyi,” where they will be working in various capacities to record and validate data and also serve as process guides among others.

According to the Commissioner for Health, the program is set to commence on the 17th of June 2022.

“The first stream will hold from June 17 till June 24, and the participating councils are Agege, Ajeromi, Alimosho, Amuwo-Odofin, Badagry, Ibeju, Kosofe, Lagos Mainland, Lagos Island and Surulere.

“The second stream will start on June 27 till July 4, to cover Apapa, Epe, Eti-Osa, Ifako-Ijaiye, Ikeja, Mushin, Oshodi-Isolo, Ojo and Somolu.”