Lagos State government, yesterday, revealed that it would kick off the Measles Rubella vaccination campaign on January 20 for 10 days and an additional two days for mop-up with the goal of reaching 10.5 million children and reducing the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases.

State Immunisation Officer of Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Oluwakemi Oshodi, who made the revelation during a media orientation programme on Measles Rubella vaccine, tasked the media and critical stakeholders on helping to curb misinformation about vaccines.

According to her, the state is committed to tackling wrong messaging about vaccines with the right information and campaign so that the people can get better educated about the importance and impact of vaccines.

Immunisation Programme Coordinator, Lagos State Primary Health Care Board, Dr Adetola Akinpelu, said the goal within the 12-day immunisation exercise is to achieve nothing less than 95 per cent coverage for the about 10.5 million children between the ages of nine months and 14 years living in Lagos State.

He noted that one of the major threats to receiving immunisation vaccines is misinformation despite the huge advantages it offers, imploring the media to educate residents about the importance of vaccines.

He added that 90 per cent of persons who come in contact with anyone with Measles Rubella would likely be infected, but with vaccines, the negative impact would likely be neutralised.

Akinpelu also said it is usually mild in children but can have severe consequences during pregnancy, leading to congenital rubella syndrome in newborns with lifelong disabilities such as heart disease.