The Nasarawa State ministry of health has said that there?s a measles outbreak in Rukubi community, in Doma local government area of the state, ahead of the launch of the rubella and measles vaccine schedule for October.

The recent outbreak of meales ha seen the State?s Ministry of Health reiterating its commitment to tackling measles and rubella diseases among unborn children and children within the zero to 15 months age range.

The Nasarawa State government on Tuesday engaged critical stakeholders on sensitisation with the aim of producing measles and rubella vaccines for routine immunisation.

Governor Abdullahi Sule made this known on Tuesday in Lafia at a critical stakeholders meeting with full participation of the 13 local government council chairmen and their wives.

Sule said that measles and rubella are highly contagious illnesses that can lead to severe complications and death if not properly managed.

Sule, who was represented by the deputy governor Dr. Emmanuel Akane, said that most blindness is caused by poor handling of measles infections.

According to him, ?In my practice as a doctor and dealing with children who came down with rubella, a lot of them end up losing their sight. The disease is real.

?This has informed the decision of the federal government to introduce this vaccine not just as a public health initiative but as a collective commitment to the well-being of every child in Nasarawa State and our country at large,? he said.

The governor also explained that as part of the government?s plan to integrate the rubella vaccine into the existing routine immunisation, a proactive and decisive measure would be taken to tackle the disease.

In his opening remarks, the state commissioner of health, Dr. Gaza Gwamna, announced the outbreak of measles in some communities in Doma local government, disclosing that health personnel have been deployed to the area to combat the spread.

The introduction of the vaccine will commence in October this year, but we can?t just go and start giving vaccines, especially because of the religious and cultural differences.

Earlier in a remark, the Executive Secretary of the Nasarawa State Primary HealthCare Development Agency, Dr. Usman Iskilu commended Governor Abdullahi Sule for clearly demonstrating his love and care for children in the state by endorsing the vaccination exercise which is to commence in October.

Iskilu noted that the two-in-one measles-rubella vaccine is meant for the effective protection of children against the dreaded contagious disease which could lead to deafness, blindness, heart defects and brain damage.

?The overall goal is to mobilise strong support and sustain commitment from government officials and community leaders for the effective integration of the measles-rubella vaccine into the routine immunisation schedule,? he added. (Vanguard)

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