The Katsina State Government has vaccinated more than 150,000 people within five days of launching an emergency vaccination campaign to contain the diphtheria outbreak in the state.
The campaign, which began on August 25, targets high-risk communities in Bakori, Charanchi, Funtua, Mashi, and Kankia local government areas.
According to data from the response, 99,036 eligible persons have received the Td vaccine, while 51,310 children have been vaccinated with the Pentavalent vaccine, bringing the total number of vaccinations administered to 150,346.
The outbreak has affected suspected cases across 29 local government areas, with Funtua recording the highest number of cases. Other affected areas include Kankia, Bakori, Katsina, Mashi, and Daura.
The state government, under Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, has activated an emergency response involving vaccination, case detection, treatment, contact tracing, isolation, and community mobilization.
The response is being coordinated by the State Emergency Preparedness and Rapid Response Team, Katsina State Primary Health Care Agency, and the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, and development partners.
Governor Radda’s administration has also secured an additional 650,000 doses of diphtheria-containing vaccines to expand protection across high-risk and affected communities.
To strengthen treatment and containment, the government has established three additional isolation centres alongside the NCDC-supported facility at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina.
Health workers are also receiving training on diphtheria surveillance and case management, while response teams continue contact tracing and provide preventive treatment to people exposed to suspected cases.
However, authorities say low vaccine uptake in some communities, late presentation of suspected cases, and Katsina’s international border with Niger Republic remain major challenges in containing the outbreak.
The state government has urged parents and caregivers to ensure their children receive recommended vaccines and advised residents experiencing symptoms such as sore throat, fever, difficulty breathing or swallowing, neck swelling, or a greyish membrane in the throat to seek immediate medical attention.
Leave feedback about this