First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Monday, officially flagged off the National Measles-Rubella Vaccine Introduction Integrated Campaign in Abuja, declaring the exercise a collective resolve to end vaccine-preventable childhood diseases and safeguard the nation’s future.
The First Lady described the flag-off as ‘a declaration of our collective resolve as a nation to say “No More” to the diseases that steal the future of our sons and daughters’.
She said measles and rubella remain among the leading causes of blindness, disability, and child mortality, noting that rubella infections during pregnancy could lead to blindness, deafness, or congenital heart defects in unborn children.
She emphasised that the initiative aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which seeks to guarantee every Nigerian child a healthy start in life and ensure that no mother dies while giving birth.
‘A vaccine in a vial does not save a child. A vaccine in a clinic does not protect a community. Protection only becomes real when that vaccine is injected into the arm of a child’, she stressed, urging mothers to take their children for vaccination and fathers to support them.
Mrs. Tinubu also appealed to traditional and religious leaders to use their influence to dispel misinformation and encourage nationwide participation, noting their previous role in the success of the HPV vaccine rollout.
She reaffirmed her personal commitment to promoting vaccine uptake and pledged to mobilize State First Ladies, wives of Local Government Chairmen, and women’s groups to ensure no child is left unprotected.
She lauded the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and develpment partners—WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, and the Gates Foundation—for their partnership and dedication to Nigeria’s public health goals.
‘With this vaccine, our children will be protected against two deadly diseases and enjoy a lifetime of safety and protection. These vaccines are safe, effective, and free’, she assured.
Declaring the campaign open, the First Lady said the exercise represents ‘a pathway to hope and a promise of progress’, praying for divine blessings on Nigerian children, mothers, and the nation.
The official flag-off of the campaign set in motion a nationwide drive expected to reach approximately 106 million children aged 9 months to under 15 years in two phases.
The campaign also integrates vaccination efforts against polio and the rollout of the HPV vaccine among adolescent girls, combining resources to optimize health impact.
