NPHCDA urges parents, caregivers on measles vaccination for children 

The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has urged parents and caregivers to ensure their children are vaccinated against measles, describing the disease as very dangerous.

The Executive Director of NPHCDA, Dr Faisal Shuaib, on Tuesday in Abuja noted that measles affects mostly children who are under five years and can lead to death.

Northeaststar reports that measles is a childhood infection caused by a virus. Once quite common, measles can now almost always be prevented with a vaccine.

Also called rubeola, measles spreads easily and can be serious and even fatal for small children.

While death rates have been falling worldwide as more children receive the measles vaccine, the disease still kills more than 200,000 people a year, mostly children.
Shuaib said that measles reduces children’s ability to fight other diseases, resulting in frequent illness.

In his words, “Those at increased risk of contracting measles are children under five years who have not completed their Routine Immunization and those not vaccinated against measles.

”For your child to be fully protected against measles, it is important for nine months to five years of age for children to receive measles immunization.”

The NPHCDA boss urged that parents and caregivers should ensure their child gets vaccinated against measles and yellow fever in the agency’s ongoing integrated campaign

“Other childhood immunization and COVID-19 vaccines will also be administered at the mobile and fixed post,” Shuaib said.

According to reports, measles symptoms don’t appear until 10 to 14 days after exposure.

The symptoms include Fever, dry cough, runny nose, sore throat and Inflamed eyes (conjunctivitis).

NPHCDA urges parents, caregivers on measles vaccination for children