The Federal Capital Territory Administration FCTA has announced plans to strictly enforce compliance with child immunization requirements across public and private schools in the FCT, warning that schools and institutions that deny vaccination teams access to pupils will face sanctions under the Child Rights Act (CRA) 2003.
Mandate Secretary of the Health Services and Environment Secretariat HSES, Dr Dolapo Fasawe, disclosed this at a news conference in Abuja.
She said the decision followed reports that some schools within the FCT refused to grant vaccination teams entry during the ongoing Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccination campaign, an act she described as a violation of children’s rights and a threat to public health.
“It has come to our attention that several schools and institutions within the FCT refused access to vaccination teams. 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”, she said.
Dr Fasawe reminded stakeholders that under Sections 13 and 14 of the Child Rights Act, 2003, every child in Nigeria is guaranteed the right to health and protection from preventable diseases.
She emphasized that parents, guardians, and educational institutions are legally obligated to ensure full immunization of all children under their care.
“Denying a child access to vaccination is not merely an administrative lapse; it is a violation of a fundamental child right,” she said.
To ensure compliance, the FCTA has rolled out a set of mandatory directives for all schools within the territory, including verification of immunization records during admission, re-admission, or transfer of pupils, and maintenance of a Child Health Register in every school.
Others are collaboration with nearby Primary Health Centres PHCs to organize on-site immunization sessions; inclusion of immunization awareness in school assemblies and PTA meetings; and, monthly submission of compliance reports through the Education Secretariat to the Health Services and Environment Secretariat.
Failure to comply with these measures, she warned, would attract administrative sanctions under existing FCT Education and Public Health Regulations.
The Health Secretariat, according to Dr. Fasawe, has already compiled a list of non-compliant schools, issued warning letters to their managements and initiated community advocacy campaigns to promote awareness.
She further announced that the FCTA has concluded plans for a three-day mop-up exercise involving 132 vaccination teams to reach children who were denied access during the earlier rounds of the campaign.
Dr Fasawe commended the progress achieved so far in the Measles-Rubella vaccination exercise, attributing its success to the commitment of FCT health workers and the support of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency NPHCDA and other development partners.
She revealed that the FCT Administration had also linked the vaccination campaign with the FCT Health Insurance Scheme FHIS to boost uptake, adding that the scheme supported over 600 vaccination teams with reflective jackets across the six Area Councils.
“Immunization is safe, effective and essential for protecting every child. 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,” she stated.
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