Vaccination campaign targets 7 million Kano children with measles and polio vaccines

Kano State in Nigeria will launch a large‑scale vaccination campaign on 6 October, aiming to immunise more than seven million children against measles‑rubella and polio. The ten‑day effort forms part of a nationwide drive to vaccinate 106 million children across the country. Dr Ahmad Tijjanu Habibu, Director of Disease Control at the Kano State Primary Healthcare Management Board, says it is the biggest integrated campaign of its kind in sub‑Saharan Africa.

The initiative will deliver multiple vaccines—routine immunisation, hepatitis, HPV, polio and treatment for onchocerciasis, a neglected tropical disease—through fixed posts, temporary posts and sweep teams. By combining several interventions, the campaign seeks to improve efficiency, cut costs and lessen the burden of multiple separate campaigns on the public. Different vaccines target different age groups: routine immunisation covers children from birth to 23 months, measles‑rubella targets those aged 9 months to 14 years, and polio focuses on children under five. The measles‑rubella vaccine is being introduced to address ongoing measles cases despite prior vaccination, with evidence that rubella contributes to milder forms of measles, prompting the combined formulation.

The operation is a joint effort involving the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, WHO, Gavi, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, civil‑society groups and the Kano State Government. Nigeria plans to implement the campaign in two phases, with Kano included in the first. UNICEF has praised the reduction in polio cases in Kano—from 31 in 2024 to three in 2025—but urges stronger government action to achieve complete eradication.

Media outlets have been called upon to play a critical role by disseminating accurate information on vaccine benefits and target age groups, mobilising communities, dispelling myths and encouraging uptake, especially among hard‑to‑reach populations. With the campaign set to begin on 6 October, the emphasis is on ensuring its success and ultimately eradicating these diseases.