In just seven days, Enugu has reached 68% of its 2.2 million target — but officials say the job isn’t done yet.
The Enugu State Government says more than 1.5 million children have received the measles-rubella vaccine within one week of its statewide immunisation campaign — a milestone officials describe as unprecedented.
Executive Secretary of the Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ENS-PHCDA), Dr. Ifeyinwa Ani-Ocheku, disclosed this at the official flag-off of the integrated campaign at Michael Okpara Square.
According to her, the figure represents about 68 per cent of the 2.2 million children targeted across the state — and signals strong progress toward eliminating both diseases.
“This is a declaration that the life of a child in Nsukka is as valuable as the life of a child in New York,” she said, reaffirming the state’s goal of zero measles and zero rubella.
Health workers, she explained, have been moving door-to-door, visiting schools, churches and mosques to ensure no child is left behind. She also confirmed that no serious adverse effects have been recorded so far.
Medical experts warn that measles can cause blindness, deafness, brain swelling and death, while rubella poses severe risks to unborn babies. The vaccine, officials stress, offers “one shot, double protection.”
Governor Peter Mbah, represented by Secretary to the State Government Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, described the campaign as a “sacred obligation,” noting that healthy children are central to the state’s economic and educational future.
He urged parents to close the immunity gap before the February 15 deadline.
“Sixty-eight per cent is commendable — but it is not enough. The virus looks for the gaps,” he warned.
The two-week campaign, which began on February 3, ends February 15.
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