Measles, Rubella Vaccinations: About 10,000 Born with Congenital Rubella Syndrome in Nigeria Annually – LASG Official
By Matthew Ukachunwa
About 10,000 children are born with Congenital Rubella Syndrome in Nigeria every year, a Lagos State health official has disclosed.
According to him, the figure represents roughly 31 per cent of the global burden of the disease.
The State’s Immunization Programme Coordinator, Matthew Akinpelu, made the disclosure while announcing Lagos State Government’s (LASG) plan to roll out a Measles and Rubella vaccination campaign.
The campaign is part of efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery and reduce vaccine preventable diseases.
The campaign will target children aged 9 to 14 years and is scheduled to run from 20th January to 31st January 2026 across the state.
The vaccinations will be administered in schools, religious centres, primary healthcare facilities and markets.
The State Immunisation Programme Coordinator said the exercise is aimed at reducing infection rates and closing immunity gaps, especially among children who have never received the rubella vaccine.
He explained that the campaign is also critical to reducing cases of Congenital Rubella Syndrome, a condition that affects babies when pregnant women contract rubella.
Akinpelu described measles and rubella as highly contagious viral infections that remain major public health concerns, particularly for children and pregnant women.
The health official said the campaign is expected to reach about 10.5 million eligible children across Lagos State.
