Stakeholders gathered for a meeting in preparation for the third round of the Edo State ‘Big Catch Up’ (BCU) immunisation campaign, scheduled to take place from April 10 to 17, 2025.
Kenneth Mac-Fisi, the Edo State Coordinator for Social and Behavioural Change at UNICEF, announced that the campaign aims to immunise 352,544 children between the ages of 0 and 59 months.
The eight-day, community-based exercise will be conducted across 149 wards in 16 local government areas of the state, with 917 vaccination teams mobilised for the effort.
Dr Efomon Eseigbe, a Director at the Edo State Primary Health Care Development Agency (EDSPHCDA), commended stakeholders for their ongoing commitment to immunisation and highlighted that vaccination provides essential immunity to children.
He added that children who missed the first and second rounds of the campaign would have a chance to receive their vaccines during this third phase.
He also urged stakeholders to counter misinformation and dispel myths surrounding immunisation, emphasising that this round is not the final phase of government intervention in the state’s immunisation efforts.
Mac-Fisi also noted that among the targeted children, there are many with zero-dose status – those who have never received any vaccination due to setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and other external factors.
An official from the World Health Organisation (WHO), Okundayo Olufemi, also made a presentation during the meeting, further underscoring the importance of the campaign.
State Health Educator, Mrs Irene Uabor, explained that the stakeholder meeting was convened to familiarise participants with the plan for the third round of the ‘Big Catch Up’ programme.
She called on parents and caregivers to ensure that their children and wards are brought forward for the immunisation, assuring them that the vaccines are safe and effective.
