Bauchi flags off June 2025 National Immunization Plus Days, targets 2.2m children

Segun Babatunde Awofadeji, Bauchi

The Bauchi State Government has kicked off the June 2025 round of National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs), with the aim of immunizing over 2.2 million eligible under-five children across the state.

The flag off ceremony, which took place at Miri Community in Bauchi Local Government Area , was attended by key stakeholders, including health officials, development partners, civil society organizations, traditional leaders, and community representatives.

In his remarks shortly before the symbolic flag off, the State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Sani Muhammad Dambam said, the state government has put in place a comprehensive plan to ensure the successful implementation of the immunization exercise, which will provide children with life-saving vaccines against killer diseases such as polio, measles, and others.

Dr. Dambam emphasized the importance of immunization in protecting children’s health and reducing mortality rates.

He urged parents and caregivers to take advantage of this opportunity to ensure their wards are fully immunized.

Also speaking, the Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Board (BSPHCDB) Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed said that the National Immunization Plus Days is a nationwide initiative aimed at strengthening routine immunization and reaching every child with life-saving vaccines.

Dr. Mohammed said that the exercise is expected to run for four days, with immunization teams visiting communities, schools, and health facilities to administer vaccines.

He also said that  Bauchi State Government’s commitment to improving child health outcomes is evident in its efforts to increase immunization coverage and reduce vaccine-preventable diseases.

In a vote of thanks, the district head of Miri,  Alhaji Hussaini Abubakar Uthman said that the NIPDs  initiative is expected to contribute significantly to the state’s progress towards achieving immunity and protecting the health and well-being of its citizens.

He appreciated the state government’s effort towards improving the health care outcomes in the state and further appealed for the upgrade of the community’s primary healthcare center to a cottage hospital.

There were goodwill messages from representatives of WHO, Gates/Dangote Foundations and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA). END