Taraba State has achieved an unprecedented milestone in its immunization efforts, recording the highest-ever measles rubella integrated vaccination coverage, surpassing initial targets. This remarkable success was confirmed by Dr. Tijo Kenneth Dingeh, the Director of Immunization Disease Control at the Taraba State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (TSPHCDA), during an interview in Jalingo.

Dr. Dingeh attributed the outstanding achievements to extensive mobilization and sensitization campaigns that engaged all stakeholders. He highlighted the significant shift in public engagement, noting that caregivers, schools, and even worship places actively reached out to the agency to request vaccinations for eligible children and wards. This proactive public participation signifies a new level of acceptability and compliance within the state, something not witnessed in previous campaigns.

The statistics underscore the scale of this success. For measles, the agency vaccinated over 1.7 million eligible children in Taraba State. The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination campaign successfully reached over 15,000 eligible target groups. Furthermore, more than 900,000 individuals were vaccinated against polio during the campaign, significantly exceeding the set targets for each program.

The high demand was so pronounced that the agency experienced a shortage of vaccines at one point, a situation not unique to Taraba State but indicative of the overwhelming level of compliance. Dr. Dingeh expressed profound gratitude for the support received from the state government, which provided all necessary assistance to the agency. He also reaffirmed the TSPHCDA's commitment to sustaining this impressive tempo, expressing optimism for continued success in the upcoming campaign scheduled for December 1st, leveraging the presence of well-trained personnel on the ground.