Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
The Cross River State Government has announced the commencement of its 2026 Measles–Rubella (MR) Vaccination Campaign, running concurrently with a Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination exercise across the state’s 18 local government areas. The programme, part of broader efforts to protect children and adolescents from vaccine-preventable diseases, is scheduled to take place from Wednesday, February 4 to Sunday, February 15, 2026, health authorities confirmed.
According to a statement issued by the Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and development partners, the integrated vaccination campaign aims to strengthen immunity among vulnerable populations and reduce the spread of measles, rubella, and certain strains of human papillomavirus — a significant cause of cervical cancer.
The Director-General of the Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Vivien Mesembe-Otu, explained that the Measles–Rubella vaccine will be administered to children aged nine months to 14 years, a critical age range for building immunity against these highly infectious viral diseases. At the same time, the HPV vaccine will be given to adolescent girls aged nine years, aimed at protecting them against strains of HPV linked to cervical cancer. Routine immunisation services for younger children aged zero to 23 months will also be provided throughout and after the campaign to ensure broad coverage.
Officials emphasised that measles and rubella continue to present serious public health threats, capable of causing severe fever, blindness, congenital malformations, miscarriage in pregnant women and even death if left unvaccinated. Vaccination, they argued, remains the most effective defence against these diseases, especially in communities where outbreaks can occur rapidly.
To ensure comprehensive reach across urban and rural communities, the state government said vaccines will be available free of charge at numerous designated sites. These include health facilities, schools, markets, motor parks, religious centres such as churches and mosques, recreational centres, shopping malls, palaces and other public locations across all 18 local government areas. Trained health workers will be deployed to these points to provide a smooth and child-friendly vaccination experience.
Parents and caregivers have been urged to take full advantage of the exercise and ensure that all eligible children are vaccinated to help curb the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases in the state. Health authorities emphasised that the vaccines being administered are safe, effective and fully government-funded, underscoring the state’s commitment to child health and disease prevention.
The campaign aligns with Nigeria’s national immunisation strategy to broaden vaccine coverage and protect children’s health, reflecting coordinated efforts between state authorities and public health partners to strengthen routine immunisation systems and promote community wellbeing.
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