Korede Abdullah in Lagos
The federal government has launched the malaria vaccination exercise in Bayelsa and Kebbi states.
This marks the introduction of the malaria vaccine in Nigeria, which will be integrated into the National Immunization Schedule.
The vaccine aims to provide protection to millions of children and move the country closer to a malaria-free future.
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) announced on its X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday that the first phase of the malaria vaccine rollout will target children aged five months to 15 months.
The country took a significant step towards combating the scourge of malaria with the arrival of one million doses of the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine in October, donated by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, with support from UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The vaccine will be administered to children aged five months to 15 months as part of routine immunization, according to Dr. Muyi Aina, Executive Director of NPHCDA.
“The introduction will be expanded to other states and integrated into our national routine immunization schedule, as we receive additional doses.
“The second phase will target 19 states and FCT, while the third phase will target the remaining 15 States. Both phases are scheduled for 2025,” he said
The malaria vaccination exercise is expected to reduce the burden of malaria in Nigeria, which accounts for approximately 27% of the global malaria burden and 31% of malaria deaths worldwide.
Malaria is one of the deadliest diseases in Nigeria and Africa, taking the lives of hundreds of thousands of children under the age of 5 each year.
