The Lagos State Government has reported 14 confirmed cases of diphtheria among students at King’s College Annex on Victoria Island, Lagos, including one fatality. During a visit to the school, Health Commissioner Prof. Akin Abayomi, joined by Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, the Governor’s Special Adviser on Health, and other senior officials, verified the outbreak. The purpose of the visit was to evaluate the situation and enact strategies to curb the disease’s spread.
The team, which included Dr. Monsurat Adeleke, Permanent Secretary of Lagos Health District III, and Dr. Ismail Abdus-Salam, Director of Epidemiology, Biosecurity and Global Health, toured essential areas of the school. Accompanied by the Head Teacher, Mr. Zachariah Magaji, PTA Chairman Peter Oluwaleye, and alumni representatives, they inspected the kitchen, dining hall, dormitories, classrooms, sickbay, sanitation facilities, and waste management systems to pinpoint potential risks and bolster prevention efforts.
The inspection, prompted by rising concerns from parents and health experts about the school’s hygiene conditions, revealed that the outbreak had been active for over 10 days before confirmation. Abayomi noted that the affected students are under medical care, with 12 receiving antibiotics and diphtheria antitoxin. He explained that the disease spreads via airborne droplets, particularly in crowded settings, and emphasized improvements to ventilation, spacing, and water access following the assessment.
Abayomi encouraged students to prioritize personal and environmental hygiene, including frequent handwashing, and to report symptoms promptly. Addressing parental worries, he discouraged removing children from school, cautioning that this could complicate containment efforts. To combat the outbreak, a mass vaccination campaign has begun for students and staff, though only those with parental approval will receive the booster shot. Abayomi clarified that while childhood diphtheria vaccines lose effectiveness over time, the booster enhances immunity, with mild side effects being rare and manageable.
Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo, Chief Medical Director of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), confirmed in a phone interview that four students are hospitalized but stable, responding well to state-provided antibiotics and antitoxin. Authorities have urged parents to keep students at school, likening it to an isolation center where experts, improved sanitation, and vaccinations are in place to prevent wider transmission.
Diphtheria, a bacterial infection targeting the respiratory system, spreads through coughing, sneezing, or contact with infected individuals. The state plans to use this incident as a lesson, revising policies on classroom sizes, dormitory layouts, and access to sanitation to avoid future outbreaks. Vaccination efforts continue, with medical teams on-site to monitor for reactions and ensure swift responses.
Health officials are optimistic that these measures will halt the outbreak, safeguarding both the school and surrounding areas. Parents and locals are advised to watch for symptoms like severe sore throat, fever, swollen glands, and breathing difficulties, reporting suspected cases immediately. The World Health Organization (WHO) labels diphtheria as highly contagious, with risks of severe complications, while the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) notes 41,336 suspected cases nationwide from May 2022 to January 2025, underscoring the urgency of tackling vaccine-preventable diseases.
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