Rivers
Measle Campaign: Rivers To Immunise 1,631,648 Children, ’Morrow
The Rivers State Immunisation Officer, Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board (RSPHCMB), Dr Inwon Joseph Urang, has stated that about 1,631,648 eligible children will be immunized against Measle from October 6 to 19, 2022 in the State.
Dr Urang, who stated this in an exclusive interview with The Tide, said the eligible children to be vaccinated are from 9 months to 59 months, “because it is children within this age group that has the burden of the disease’’.
According to him, apart from the measles vaccination, other routine vaccines will be administered on the children, including COVID-19 vaccines.
“These children are being mobilised to the vaccination sites, so, it is an opportunity for us to vaccinate these children with adequate vaccines’’, he said.
He continued that, ‘’The Primary goal of supplementary immunisation activities is to vaccinate every single eligible child, focusing on children from hard to reach and under served populations who have limited access to regular health services and are missed by routine immunisation’’
While explaining the effectiveness of the measles vaccines, the Consultant, Social Behavouial Change Communication, Rivers State Measles Campaign, UNICEF, Evelyn Joseph, said “the vaccines are free, effective and safe”, adding that, “it is safer for a child to get vaccinated than for a child to come down with the disease.
“We want people to get correct information about the effectiveness of the vaccines, that is why we use the traditional town announcers in the various communities and LGAs of the State.
‘’We support the State in several parts. Our own is to support more of communication to the communities: how people will get information about the vaccination; and how the mothers in the creek will be aware that every eligible child from 9 months to under five ought to be brought out to the vaccination post’’.
Also speaking, the State Health Educator, PHCMB, St Diana Babbo, explained that the measles virus, which is extremely contagious, can travel from village to village, country to country, through un immunised children.
According to her, children with measles can develop ear and eye infections, diarrhea, puneumonia, blindness, deafness or swelling of the brain.
She, therefore, urged parents to bring their children to be vaccinated against measles in order to protect them from contracting the disease.
By: Sogbeba Dokubo
The Rivers State Judiciary has denied a media report claiming that Justice Frank Onyiri of the State High Court issued an injunction order restraining the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), from inaugurating the newly appointed members of the Rivers State Civil Service Commission (RSCSC).
In a statement issued by the Deputy Chief Registrar in charge of litigation at the High Court, Menenen Poromon (Esq), the state Judiciary disassociated itself from the report, describing it as malicious and fabricated.
The statement emphasized that the report was a falsehood and a misrepresentation of what transpeared in the court.
Poromon clarified that no such order was issued by Justice Onyiri or any other judge of the High Court of the state and urged the public to disregard the information, as it lacked any iota of truth.
The statement however advised the public to verify any information concerning the state Judiciary directly from the office of the Chief Registrar, High Court of the State, to avoid spreading of misinformation.