The National Diphtheria Emergency Task Team, Thursday said it has administered Pentavalent vaccine to a total of 1,692,762 children in seven states, comprising 56 local government areas that are profoundly impacted by the ongoing Diphtheria outbreak.
The team which described the development as a vital safeguard against the disease, also said an impressive 3,166,419 children aged four to 14 years have received the tetanus-diphtheria (Td) vaccines.
This, it explained, was to further strengthen its safeguards from the disease among children and teenagers.
Recall that the phase 2 Round 1 of the team's outbreak response using Diphtheria vaccines commenced on the 23rd of September 2023 and has unfolded in seven states.
Co-Chairman of the team and Executive Director of National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, Dr Faisal Shuaib, who disclosed this at a media briefing in Abuja, Thursday, said Kano State, being the
epicenter of the epidemic, has exemplified the federal government's commitment by ensuring the immunization of 1,111,310 children with Td vaccines and 544,737 children with Pentavalent vaccines in this phase ongoing vaccination phase.
"Katsina, another hotspot in this outbreak, has vaccinated 403,252 children with Td vaccines and 255,075 children with Pentavalent vaccines. Similarly, Kaduna, Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, and Yobe have not faltered in their efforts either, collectively securing the health and well-being of hundreds of thousands of children through dedicated vaccination campaigns, "he added.
Faisal said, "This collective achievement builds upon our earlier Phase 1 response conducted in August 2023, during which we covered 2,370,918 children, ensuring they received the necessary vaccinations to shield them from the Diphtheria menace. These figures not only illustrate our unrelenting commitment to safeguarding our nation's children but also serve as a testament to the power of collective action in the face of adversity."
Shuaib said the ongoing vaccination phase has made a tangible difference in protecting the lives of 4,859,181 children across these affected states
He said it was disheartening to note that children and adults alike continue to fall victim to this entirely preventable disease.
"Even more distressing is the over 600 people, mostly kids who have died.
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" Each new case is not just a statistic; it represents a family in distress, a community in mourning and a nation grappling with avoidable suffering. This should serve as a wake-up call, reminding us that this disease, if left unchecked, can have catastrophic consequences. It does not have to be this way, because we have a tool, a vaccine that is safe, effective and able to prevent this illness and deaths,"he further said.
According to him, "The Diphtheria vaccine has been proven to be remarkably effective in preventing this disease."
" By ensuring that our children and communities are vaccinated, we create a formidable defense against Diphtheria's spread. Vaccination is not just a personal choice; it is a collective responsibility that can protect our most vulnerable citizens and preserve the health of our nation.
" Vaccines are powerful tools to prevent disease. When they are injected into the body, they cause biological reactions that could show up as side effects or adverse events. These adverse events are usually short-lived, examples are pain and swelling at injection site, mild fever, weakness and irritability especially among children. In this vaccination phase we have recorded 6,505 mild adverse events. No serious adverse effect directly linked to the vaccination has been recorded. We will continue to work with the states and local government to document these events.
"It is important to note that for complete protection, three doses of these vaccines are required. The Federal Government remains fully committed to supplying the necessary vaccines to reach the target population and effectively reduce the burden of diphtheria in these areas,"Dr Shuaib further said.
