The Kano State Government has launched a diphtheria vaccination campaign targeting five local government areas as part of measures to curb the spread of the disease. The exercise is being conducted in selected wards in Dala, Fagge, Gwale, Kumbotso and Ungoggo Local Government Areas. The Kano State Centre for Disease Control disclosed this in a statement signed by its Risk Communication and Community Engagement Officer, Rukayya Jafar Suleiman.
According to the statement, 13 wards have been selected for the immunisation exercise. “The immunisation campaign covers 13 selected wards across the five local government areas. “The wards covered include Gobirawa, Kofar Ruwa, Kwachiri, Rijiyar Lemo, Dorayi, Kabuga, Chiranchi, Naibawa, Fanshekara, Bachirawa, Gayawa, Rijiyar Zaki and Ungogo,” the statement said. The agency urged residents to take advantage of the vaccination exercise, particularly people who are unsure of their immunisation status or whose last dose was administered more than 10 years ago.
“We call on residents, especially those whose immunisation status is unknown or who received their last dose more than 10 years ago, to make themselves and their families available for vaccination,” it said. The state health authorities also appealed to parents and other residents to encourage their relatives to participate in the exercise, stressing that broad community involvement was important to preventing further transmission.
The statement described diphtheria vaccination as safe and effective and urged residents to obtain information about the disease and immunisation from authorised health officials. “Yes, immunisation is safe, effective, and protects you from serious illness. Bring your family members and get vaccinated today. Together, we can prevent Diphtheria,” the statement added. The latest campaign follows an appeal by the Kano State Government in August for additional diphtheria vaccines from the Federal Government to support a wider immunisation programme across the state.
The Director-General of the Kano State Centre for Disease Control, Professor Muhammad Adamu Abbas, made the request at a news conference after the state House of Assembly raised concerns over a reported outbreak in Rano and other local government areas. The assembly had reported that more than 50 children died from the disease. However, the Kano State Government subsequently disputed the reported death figure
