The Katsina State Government said it vaccinated 1,876,781 children across the state during the recent vaccination drive, representing 103% coverage.
The Executive Secretary of the state Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Shamsuddeen Yahaya, said this during an interview in Katsina.
According to the executive secretary, the state government had earlier planned to vaccinate around 1,826,256 children aged nine to 59 months.
He said 1,983,260 vaccines were used during the exercise, resulting in a six percent wastage, with 729 non-serious adverse events following vaccination and zero AEFIs recorded.
“The exercise began on October 28, 2023 and lasted seven days, covering 34 local government units and 361 districts of the state.
“Measles is a viral infection that is serious for young children but is easily preventable with a vaccine. The disease spreads through droplets produced by coughing or sneezing and can lead to serious complications such as malnutrition, blindness and even death if not treated early, Yahaya explained.
He emphasized that the campaign was conducted in cooperation with the National Agency for the Development of Primary Health Care, with the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Health Organization.
Other institutions that supported this exercise included the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the African Field Epidemiology Network, E-Health and other development partners.
(IN)
