The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has appealed to parents, guardians, caregivers and school authorities to prioritize the health and safety of children, by ensuring full compliance with ongoing immunisation campaigns against preventable diseases such as measles and rubella.

This appeal had become necessary following the refusal of several schools and institutions within the FCT, to allow vaccination teams access to immunise eligible children during the ongoing measles and rubella vaccination exercise, thus exposing children to unnecessary risks.

Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr. Dolapo Fasawe who made the appeal on Thursday in Abuja, raised deep concerns that the refusal was denying eligible children protection against life-threatening diseases and also disrupting the smooth implementation of the campaign.

She said: ” This non-compliance not only denied eligible children protection against measles and rubella but also disrupted the daily implementation plans of the campaign. Such actions are deeply concerning because they undermine public health gains and put our children at unnecessary risk.

“We use this opportunity to appeal to all parents to ensure their children are allowed to be vaccinated in line with the Child Health Act at school.

“Immunization is safe, effective, and essential for protecting every child. We also take this moment to inform parents and guardians of the ongoing efforts by the FCT Administration to strengthen immunization access and disease prevention across all communities.

“We appeal to all school Proprietors, Administrators, and Parents to join hands with us to uphold the health rights of our children. Immunization saves lives — it is a collective responsibility, a legal duty, and a moral imperative. Together, we can ensure that no child in the Federal Capital Territory is denied protection from preventable diseases.”

Fasawe who noted that denying a child access to vaccination is was a violation of his or her fundamental child right every child, said the Administration has compiled a comprehensive list of non-compliant schools and institutions, initiated targeted advocacy and community sensitisation, and issued letters reminding affected schools of their legal responsibilities under the Child Rights Act (CRA).

Also, the Administration has “finalized plans for a three-day mop-up exercise involving 132 vaccination teams to reach unvaccinated children across affected areas.”

To strengthen enforcement and ensure sustainability, the FCTA has approved “directives for all public and private schools:
Mandatory immunization verification during admission, re-admission, or transfer;
Maintenance of a Child Health Register in every school; collaboration with nearby Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs) for on-site immunization sessions;

“Regular inclusion of immunization awareness in school assemblies and PTA meetings; and
Submission of monthly compliance reports through the Education Secretariat to HSES.

“Failure to comply with these directives will attract administrative sanctions under existing FCT Education and Public Health Regulations,” she warned