About 63 million Nigerians within the age of 9 months to 14 years are expected to be vaccinated under the first phase of the federal government’s 2025/2026 Integrated Measles-Rubella Campaign, while 43 million are expected to be vaccinated in the second phase of the exercise.

The rollout of the first phase of the 10-day vaccination programme will commence on 6th October, 2025, and will integrate other services such as routine immunization for children 0 to 23 months, HPV vaccination for girls 9 years, polio immunization from 0 to 59 months, as well as prevention against malaria and other Neglected Tropical Diseases.

However, this vaccination will be provided at places of worship, schools, playgrounds, healthcare facilities, and other places where children gather, with three vaccinators in each vaccination team.

The Director, Advocacy and Communication at the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Ladan Aliyu Mohammed, who disclosed this at the National Media Orientation on the 2025/2026 Integrated Measles-Rubella Campaign organized in Abuja, explained that the first phase of the vaccination programme is for Northern States and Oyo State, while the 2nd phase of the vaccination programme, which is for the Southern States, will take place between January and February 2026.

Aliyu, who described the forthcoming vaccination as the largest not only in the history of Nigeria but also in Africa, said that the Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine is very safe and efficacious and will help reduce the burden of measles and rubella in the country.

He stated that rubella can cause Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS) in pregnant women, which is a more devastating form of the disease that may lead to a child being born with impairments such as blindness, deafness, and other pathological issues like heart diseases.

He stated that the NPHCDA is going to work with the security personnel, community gatekeepers like traditional leaders, and religious leaders, especially in security-compromised areas, to ensure that no child is left behind, including the zero-dose children.

Aliyu noted that the essence of the orientation is to strengthen the partnership with the media and equip them with the right information to enable them to inform Nigerians about the campaign.

He said, “The reason for this orientation is actually to prepare for the challenge that we are envisaging for this campaign, and one of these challenges is rumour and misinformation about our vaccination programme. When we introduced the HPV vaccine in 2024, there was a lot of rumour and misinformation about the vaccine.

But we believe that when we work with the media, they will be able to dispel such rumours and misinformation through the media outlets.”

Also speaking at the event, Non-Polio SIAs Consultant, AFENET Nigeria, Dr. Izuchukwu Obi, observed that all the vaccination teams are fully equipped to manage any adverse events, adding that while some children may experience mild side effects such as fever or rash.

He noted that the mobilization team will go house to house to identify the number of children that need the vaccination, give them a coupon, and direct them to the nearest vaccination post where they can take the vaccine.

On his part, AFENET’s Vaccine Preventable Diseases Surveillance Consultant, Dr. Baffa Ibrahim, said that measles is a highly contagious disease and one of the leading causes of death among children under-5 years, adding that rubella causes a debilitating disease among newborns but is under-reported in Nigeria due to gaps in laboratory testing.

Ibrahim noted that the two diseases have similar presentations, only that rubella affects an unborn child, causing CRS, adding that both diseases are preventable by a simple vaccine which is free and available.

He said, “In 2024, the global burden of Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS) remains a major concern, with around 100,000 babies born with CRS annually.”

Ibrahim noted that limited surveillance masks the true burden in Nigeria, but seroprevalence studies confirm high susceptibility among women of childbearing age.

He stated that the introduction of the MR vaccine is critical, as it will sustain measles control while preventing rubella and CRS. (The Guardian)