The Lagos State Branch of the Nigerian Red Cross Society has started training officers and supervisors in preparation for the upcoming measles-rubella vaccination campaign in the state.

Olakunle Lasisi, the Branch Secretary, explained that the training is part of the organisation’s annual effort to raise awareness about measles and rubella and encourage parents to ensure their children are vaccinated.

Speaking at the training in Yaba last Friday, Lasisi said the campaign aims to address ignorance and misconceptions surrounding immunisation in some communities.

“This is a yearly programme designed to highlight the dangers of measles, which can be deadly, and to emphasise the importance of vaccinating children,” Lasisi said. “Many people are not fully informed about vaccination, which is why we are equipping our volunteers to educate residents effectively about the measles-rubella campaign.”

The vaccination exercise is scheduled to begin on January 27 and will run for 10 days across Lagos State. Lasisi noted that the Red Cross will conduct community sensitisation ahead of the exercise and record households that may resist vaccination.

“Two days before the campaign begins, the Red Cross will engage communities to raise awareness. Similarly, two days before it concludes, we will account for households that show resistance,” he explained.

Regarding support from the state government and international partners, Lasisi highlighted Lagos State’s openness to credible collaborations and the Red Cross’s longstanding partnership with the government.

“The Lagos State Government has always welcomed credible partners. This year, we are also working with new partners like the US CDC, who are supporting the Red Cross in Lagos and Bayelsa. Previous campaigns in 2018 and 2021 recorded about 99 percent positive outcomes, and we aim to improve on that this year,” he said.

Lasisi added that vaccination targets and technical planning are managed by the state government, with the Red Cross providing operational support. “The government provides local government and household data, and we implement activities based on their directives,” he said.

On vaccine acceptance, he said Lagos residents are generally well-informed, and strong community structures would further support the campaign.

“Lagos has a robust communication system between the government and residents, from local government chairmen to community leaders and CDAs. Since the Red Cross operates at the community level, it is easier for us to collaborate effectively with both communities and the government,” he added.

Ahmad Abdul-Majid, Senior Project Officer of the Nigerian Red Cross, said the training prepares officers who will, in turn, train volunteers across the state.

“Today, we are training supervisors, divisional secretaries, data officers, local government health education officers, and immunisation officers. A total of 526 trainers will be deployed to their respective local governments,” Abdul-Majid said.

He added that the officers will train more than 4,800 volunteers who will carry out house-to-house mobilisation in Lagos, engaging caregivers, explaining the benefits of the vaccine, and addressing any concerns or misconceptions.

Abdul-Majid also explained the importance of achieving wide vaccine coverage. “Through herd immunity, when a significant portion of the community is immunised, even children who have not yet been vaccinated receive indirect protection,” he said.

International partners are supporting the campaign, with the American Red Cross assisting six local governments through around 1,700 volunteers and 170 supervisors, while the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is supporting the remaining 14 local governments with over 3,000 volunteers.

He concluded that coordination measures have been established to ensure that every household is reached and every eligible child is identified during the exercise.