Health
Ogun targets over two million for vaccination
Parents and caregivers in Ogun State have been urged to ensure their children are vaccinated as part of ongoing efforts to sustain the state’s polio-free status and eliminate vaccine-preventable diseases.
The call was made by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, during the official flag-off ceremony of the second round of the 2025 National Immunisation Plus Days (NIPDs) and Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW) held in Sabo, Sagamu Local Government Area.
Dr. Coker disclosed that the initiative aims to reach over two million children under the age of five with the Oral Polio Vaccine, while also targeting nine-year-old girls for the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to prevent cervical cancer. In addition, multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) will be distributed to pregnant women across all 236 wards of the state.
She noted that Ogun State successfully implemented the first round of NIPDs earlier in the year, vaccinating 2,012,546 children aged 0–5 years, achieving a coverage rate of 99.1 percent.
Coker commended Nigeria’s success in the fight against poliomyelitis, highlighting that the country has recorded no cases of wild poliovirus since 2016. However, she warned that surveillance data indicates outbreaks of the circulating variant poliovirus (cVDPV) in some regions, stressing the need for sustained vigilance.
“All hands must remain on deck as we are not yet out of the woods,” she stated. “To maintain our polio-free status, over 280 million doses of vaccines will be administered annually nationwide.”
She reiterated the commitment of the Prince Dapo Abiodun-led administration to quality healthcare delivery, particularly in improving maternal and child health outcomes across both rural and urban areas.
Representing the chairman of Sagamu Local Government, Ogbeni Afolabi Odulate, his vice, Alhaji Isiaka Salami, emphasised that NIPDs is a nationwide initiative designed to strengthen routine immunisation and ensure that every child receives life-saving vaccines. He said the government’s efforts have already led to improved immunisation coverage and a reduction in vaccine-preventable diseases.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the Primary Health Care Development Board, Dr. Elijah Ogunsola, assured that the government, in partnership with development agencies, would intensify efforts to reach all eligible children. He encouraged parents to ensure their daughters aged nine receive the HPV vaccine, which he described as safe, effective, and free.
In their goodwill messages, representatives of development partners including the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, UNICEF, U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation praised the Ogun State Government for maintaining a polio-free status for five consecutive years. They pledged continued support in identifying and vaccinating at-risk populations.
The Ologijo of Ogijo, Oba Kazeem Gbadamosi, also commended the initiative and urged parents to embrace vaccination as a critical step in protecting their children from life-threatening diseases.
