A measles outbreak in Nigeria’s northeastern state of Adamawa has claimed the lives of at least 42 individuals within just over a week, the state’s health commissioner reported on Friday.
Measles, a highly contagious airborne virus, predominantly affects children under the age of 5. The World Health Organization notes that two doses of vaccine can prevent its spread, contributing to the avoidance of over 50 million deaths since 2000.
Felix Tangwami, Adamawa’s health commissioner, stated that the outbreak has primarily impacted two local government areas, resulting in 42 fatalities among nearly 200 suspected cases.
“Measles vaccines have been released to those areas and our field teams are containing the situation,” he said at a media briefing.
The ongoing insecurity prevalent in many northern Nigerian states often disrupts vaccination campaigns, leaving children especially vulnerable to such outbreaks.
