The Centre said Nigeria failed to meet the World Health Organisation’s threshold on measles-rubella vaccination.
A health advocacy group, the Centre for Well-Being and Integrated Nutrition Solutions (C-WINS), has lamented low measles-rubella vaccination, warning that it can trigger increasing deaths and disabilities among children.
The Head of Mission for the Advocacy Project at the Centre for Well-Being and Integrated Nutrition Solutions (C-WINS), Dr. Mahmud Zubairu, who gave the warning in a statement on Wednesday, called on stakeholders in the health sector to intensify and extend the measles-rubella vaccination campaign to grassroots communities.
The Centre said Nigeria failed to meet the World Health Organisation’s threshold on measles-rubella vaccination.
It recalled that in May 2024 measles outbreak killed 24 people in Adamawa State.
Quoting media reports, the Centre stressed that the measles outbreak affected two local government areas (LGAs), where nearly 200 suspected cases were identified.
It stated, “Measles cases have been reported nationwide, with many confirmed cases in Borno State, which has been battling insurgency for more than 10 years. There have been two large measles outbreaks in the North-West and North-East zones between 2012 and 2021.
“Measles is a highly contagious viral disease and it has been listed as an important cause of death amongst young children globally. It is usually associated with cough, fever and other symptoms but a characteristic rash stands it out.”
The Head of Mission for the Advocacy Project at the Centre for Well-Being and Integrated Nutrition Solutions (C-WINS), Dr Mahmud Zubairu, emphasized that if not properly managed, measles and rubella, can lead to serious complications that may lead to death and disabilities.
The Centre, however, noted that adequate vaccination could stem the spread of the diseases and prevent deaths and disabilities.
The statement noted that the measles vaccine has been available since 1963 and has demonstrated high efficacy, reducing measles cases by up to 99% compared to the pre-vaccine era.
It also highlighted a significant decline in major epidemics worldwide, which, before the vaccine’s introduction, occurred every two to three years and caused an estimated 2.6 million deaths annually.
“Similarly, Rubella is a highly contagious viral disease that spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It is also associated with mild fever and rash in infected children. If a woman is infected with the rubella virus during early pregnancy, there is a 90% chance of passing the virus to the unborn child and this can result in miscarriage, fetal death, still birth or giving birth to a child with congenital malformations, known as congenital rubella syndrome (CRS)
"Like measles, vaccination is the most effective way to prevent rubella and its spread. The rubella vaccine is safe and helps the body build immunity against the virus. While the measles vaccine has been part of the country’s immunization schedule since the launch of the Expanded Program on Immunization—now the Essential Program on Immunization—in 1979, the rubella vaccine has not been included in public health facilities' routine immunization schedule."
According to the Centre, scientists have made significant progress in combining multiple vaccine antigens, reducing the number of injections required for children.
The Centre stressed the importance of widespread immunisation to achieve herd immunity
Emphasizing the need for widespread immunization, the Centre stated, “For vaccines to effectively prevent diseases, communities must achieve herd immunity. This ensures that even unvaccinated children are protected when a disease is introduced, thanks to the immunity of vaccinated individuals. However, this level of protection can only be achieved with very high vaccination coverage.”
The Centre further highlighted that, like measles, rubella continues to have devastating health effects in Nigeria, leading to deaths and lifelong birth defects in children.
"The low measles-rubella vaccination coverage in Nigeria underscores the urgent need for effective communication strategies that reach all parts of the country and raise awareness about the importance of vaccination,” it stated.
"It therefore called for nationwide campaigns focused on strengthening routine immunization services, ensuring an effective rollout of the measles-rubella vaccine, and increasing vaccination coverage to ultimately eliminate these deadly diseases.”
Rubella, also known as German measles, is highly contagious viral infection that primarily affects children and young adults.
The Centre warned that rubella is the leading vaccine-preventable cause of birth defects, with infections during pregnancy potentially resulting in fetal death or congenital defects, collectively known as Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS).
At a January 2024 meeting in Abuja, Dr. Lukman Ismaila, an epidemiologist from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), revealed that Nigeria records over 10,000 measles cases annually, underscoring the urgent need for improved vaccination coverage.
Research cited by C-WINS showed that global measles vaccination coverage stood at 83% for the first dose and 74% for the second dose in 2023. However, Nigeria’s coverage has remained between 50% and 60% in recent years, with significant regional disparities.
For instance, according to the National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) 2023/2024, measles vaccine coverage in the North-West is considerably lower than in the South-South and South-East regions. In 2018, the coverage rate was 43.3% in the North-East compared to 75.5% in the South-West. This inadequate coverage remains a major obstacle to achieving herd immunity and effectively controlling measles outbreaks.