Adamawa Delays School Reopening and Mandates Vaccination Amid Measles Outbreak

The Adamawa State government, on Monday, announced the postponement of school resumption in the state following an outbreak of measles in the state.

The state said instead of Monday, May 6, schools in the state would now resume on May 13.

The directive was conveyed in a circular on Monday signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, Aisha Umar.

Umar said the closure was to mitigate the spread of measles and to enable the state Primary Health Care Development Agency to vaccinate the age group that are vulnerable to the disease.

The circular read: “The resumption date for the third term 2023/2024 academic session earlier scheduled to be 6th May, 2024 has ben postponed to next week 13th May 2024 due to outbreak of measles in some LGAs in the State.

“This is to mitigate the spread of the disease, and to enable the Primary Health Care Agency vaccinate the age group of children that are vulnerable to the disease.

“In view of the above, all public and private schools are hereby directed to close down schools accordingly, please.

“We regret any inconvenience this circular must have caused the schools, parents/guardians and the students.”

At least 42 persons have been confirmed dead following an outbreak of measles in the state. The state Ministry of Health announced the outbreak of the disease in Mubi North, Mubi South and Gombi.

The Commissioner for Health and Human Service, Mr Felix Tangwami, said the cases were recorded in communities that were not vaccine-complaint.

Tangwami noted that 23 people died in Mubi North and 19 died of the disease in the Gombi Local Government Areas of the state.