The United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC) has urged Nigerian authorities to scale up routine immunisation efforts amid a rising incidence of measles infections across the country.
At a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, Joseph Forbi, an epidemiologist with the CDC’s Global Immunisation Division in Nigeria, said measles remains a significant cause of illness and death among children globally, and Nigeria continues to record some of the highest case numbers worldwide.
According to Forbi, more than 20,000 suspected measles cases were recorded in Nigeria in 2024, with about 10,000 confirmed, mostly in children who were either not vaccinated or incompletely vaccinated.
“Only 60 per cent of children in Nigeria receive their first dose of the measles vaccine on schedule,” he said. “Around three million children remain unvaccinated.”
He noted that since the COVID-19 pandemic, measles outbreaks have occurred in every Nigerian state, many of which are still ongoing.
Recent global data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 10.3 million measles cases occurred worldwide in 2023—a 20 per cent rise from the previous year. WHO attributes the surge primarily to poor vaccine coverage. While 83 per cent of children globally received a first dose of the vaccine last year, only 74 per cent received the recommended second dose.
Forbi warned that measles is “extremely infectious,” with one infected person capable of transmitting the virus to up to 18 unvaccinated individuals.
He described the virus as being easily spread through respiratory droplets or contact with contaminated surfaces, remaining viable for up to two hours.
Symptoms of measles include fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. In severe cases, the disease can cause long-term disability or death, particularly in children.
Patricia Tanifum, Programme Director at CDC Nigeria’s Global Immunisation Division, said there is an international target to eliminate measles by 2030. While Nigeria is currently behind schedule, she said the government is intensifying its efforts, particularly through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), to meet the global goal.
Forbi said Nigeria has adopted a national strategy that prioritises stronger routine immunisation systems, improved disease surveillance, and more responsive outbreak management. The plan includes administering two doses of the measles vaccine free of charge at nine and 15 months of age.
He also noted a recent decline in reported cases. “Between January and late May 2025, Nigeria recorded fewer cases than the same period in 2024,” he said. For instance, in epidemiological week 22 of 2024, there were 8,405 suspected cases and 1,953 confirmed, compared to 6,238 suspected and 1,403 confirmed cases in the same week of 2025.
According to him, recent mass vaccination campaigns have targeted children aged nine months to 59 months in 26 states. He said efforts are also underway to prepare for a 2025/2026 national catch-up campaign to vaccinate over 100 million children between the ages of nine months and 15 years.
He added that Nigeria recently secured a GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, grant to support these immunisation efforts.
