Dennis Gabriel 
Dennis Gabriel
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Kwara State Government will from October incorporate Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccination into its routine immunisation programme across the state.
The Director of the Primary Healthcare System at the Kwara State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Michael Oguntoye, disclosed this on Thursday in Ilorin during a media orientation on integrated MR vaccination.
He explained that the integrated campaign would deliver multiple vaccines and health services simultaneously, improving access and efficiency for caregivers.
“Kwara is among the first states to integrate MR into routine immunisation, and this exercise will depend heavily on public awareness,” Oguntoye said, urging the media to support dissemination.
Adekunle Salaudeen, Consultant with the International Vaccine Access Centre (IVAC), described measles as a highly infectious viral disease that can cause severe complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis, and death, particularly in children.
He also warned that rubella infection during early pregnancy could result in congenital rubella syndrome, leading to serious birth defects. Between 2019 and 2024, Nigeria recorded 94,305 confirmed measles cases and 719 deaths, with the North-east worst affected.
In his remarks, UNICEF representative Usman Danlami pledged the agency’s support for the campaign and called on caregivers to ensure eligible children are vaccinated.
Kwara to Integrate Measles-Rubella Vaccine into Routine Immunisation
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Hussaini Ibrahim 
Mirian Gom