The Katsina State Government has vaccinated more than 150,000 people within five days as part of emergency measures to contain a diphtheria outbreak reported across the state.
The vaccination campaign, which began on August 25, 2026, was launched in 15 high-risk wards across Bakori, Charanchi, Funtua, Mashi and Kankia Local Government Areas.
According to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed, a total of 150,346 people had been vaccinated by the fifth day of the exercise.
The figure comprised 99,036 people who received the Td vaccine and 51,310 children who received the Pentavalent vaccine.
The government said the intervention became necessary following the spread of suspected diphtheria cases across 29 local government areas, with Funtua recording the highest burden. Other affected areas include Kankia, Bakori, Katsina, Mashi and Daura.
Mohammed said the state’s response includes emergency vaccination, active case detection, treatment, contact tracing, isolation, infection prevention and community mobilisation.
He said the campaign is targeting 114,570 children aged six months to five years for Pentavalent vaccination and 146,075 people aged five to 15 years for Td vaccination across the five participating local government areas.
The state government has also secured an additional 650,000 doses of diphtheria-containing vaccines to extend vaccination coverage in affected and high-risk communities.
As part of efforts to strengthen case management, the government has established three additional isolation centres to complement the isolation facility supported by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina.
Essential medicines, medical supplies and infection-prevention materials are also being distributed, while health workers are receiving additional training in diphtheria surveillance and case management.
The government said surveillance teams are visiting communities and health facilities to identify suspected cases, trace contacts and update records. Preventive medication is also being provided to people who have been exposed to suspected cases where necessary.
However, authorities identified low vaccination uptake in some communities, delayed presentation of suspected cases at health facilities and Katsina's international border with Niger Republic as challenges to controlling the outbreak.
The state government urged parents and caregivers to ensure that children receive recommended vaccines.
Residents were also advised to seek immediate medical attention if they develop symptoms including sore throat, fever, difficulty swallowing or breathing, neck swelling, or a thick greyish or whitish membrane in the throat, tonsils or nose.
The government stressed that suspected cases should not be treated at home, noting that early detection and prompt treatment could prevent severe complications and save lives.
.jpeg)
.jpeg "Sunayen kofofin aljanna guda takwas 8")
0 Comment about the Post: