Cross River Launches 2026 Measles-Rubella & HPV Vaccination Drive

The Cross River State Government has scheduled Wednesday, February 4, to Sunday, February 15, 2026 for this year’s Measles–Rubella and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination exercise. In a statement issued by the Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency on Monday, the exercise which would be done in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and development partners would hold simultaneously across the 18 Local Government Areas of the state. Director-General of the agency, Dr. Vivien Mesembe-Otu, informed that the Measles–Rubella vaccine would be administered to children aged nine months to 14 years, while the HPV vaccine would be given to adolescent girls aged nine years to protect them against cervical cancer. She disclosed that routine immunisation services for children aged zero to 23 months would also be provided during and after the campaign. “The routine immunisation services for children aged 0–23 months will be provided during and after the campaign. The Measles–Rubella vaccine will be administered to children aged nine months to 14 years, while the HPV vaccine will be given to adolescent girls aged nine years to protect them against cervical cancer,” she said. The DG explained that measles and rubella remained major public health concerns capable of causing severe fever, congenital malformations, blindness, miscarriage in pregnant women, and even death if not prevented. She however stated that vaccination remained the most effective means of protecting children from birth against the diseases. “Measles and rubella remain major public health concerns capable of causing severe fever, congenital malformations, blindness, miscarriage in pregnant women, and even death if not prevented. Vaccination remains the most effective means of protecting children against these diseases,” she said. Mesembe-Otu further said the campaign forms part of a nationwide vaccination exercise by the Federal Government aimed at strengthening immunity among children and reducing the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases across the country. According to her, vaccinations would be administered at health facilities, schools, churches, mosques, markets, recreational centres, palaces, motor parks, shopping malls, and other public locations to ensure wide coverage.