Nigeria, USCDC Target 100m Children In October Mass Vaccination Campaign
By Alice Etuka, Abuja
The Federal Government of Nigeria and the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S CDC) have scheduled a mass vaccination for 100 million unimmunised and under immunised children beginning from October, 2025.
U.S. CDC Nigeria Epidemiologist, Dr. Joseph Forbi disclosed this at a Media Roundtable held in Abuja on Tuesday.
Forbi said Measles was a major cause of childhood illness and death worldwide, with Nigeria being among the top 10 countries reporting measles cases globally.
“In 2024, Nigeria reported over 20,000 suspected cases with approximately 10,000 confirmed cases mostly among unvaccinated and under-vaccinated children.
“Immunization coverage is low in Nigeria with only 60% of children getting their first dose of measles vaccine on schedule. Currently, 3 million children are unprotected.
“Following the covid-19 pandemic, all states in Nigeria have experienced measles outbreaks and many are ongoing”, he said.
He, however stated that measles cases and deaths were declining:
“In the first 5 months of 2025, Nigeria reported lower cases compared to the same period in 2024. In Epi week 22, 2024 confirmed cases was 1,953 while it slightly declined to 1,403 in Epi week 22, 2025”, he added.
Forbi described measles as an extremely infectious disease, “a person with measles can infect approximately 12 to 18 people who are not immune. The measles virus can remain active in the air or surfaces for up to two hours”.
He informed that the U.S CDC had helped Nigeria obtain a Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance grant to vaccinate over 100 million children ages 9 months to 15 years across the country. However, the country needs to support the upcoming campaign in October to achieve measle elimination target by 2030.
Earlier, the Program Director, CDC Nigeria GID, Dr. Patricia Tanifum in her remarks said complications from measles cause disability and death.
Tanifum informed that there is an agenda globally to eliminate measles and Rubella by the year 2030 and Nigeria is also aligned with the agenda.
She however noted that the country was a little behind. “Regardless, the government of Nigeria, Ministry of Health, through the Primary Health Care Development Agency, is putting in a lot of efforts. It will meet many of the immunization targets, including the eradication of measles. The U.S CDC as a partner, is working closely with the government to meet that goal”, she assured.
