An anonymous source said all the deaths were recorded in Sabo area of Ibadan, where many citizens from the northern part of the state reside.
In view of the recent fatalities, the state government wisely moved the immunization schedule up from the initially scheduled dates- January 28 and February 1, 2016 to January 19 to prevent more deaths.
The source said, “The state Ministry of Health will begin vaccination against measles on January 19, 2016, instead of the earlier scheduled date of January 28, 2016. This is informed by the death of five people because of the disease. The state is committed to safeguarding the lives of the citizens, which informed the directive to begin the vaccination ahead of time.”
The State's Chief Health Educator, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Olawoyin, had earlier said that the exercise would target children from nine months to 59 months and that thousands of children would be given the vaccine.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease and it is a leading cause of death in children under 5 years worldwide.
It is spread by coughing and sneezing, close personal contact or direct contact with infected nasal or throat secretions.
You can protect your child from measles with the measles vaccine, which is available in most health centres nationwide.
If your child has any of these symptoms: fever, catarrh, cough, red and watery eyes, and small white spots inside the cheeks, it is very important that you take them quickly to hospital for treatment.
There is no need to wait for the characteristic measles rash to appear because it takes several days to start.
Let's spread the word - IMMUNIZE YOUR CHILDREN AGAINST MEASLES!
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