The Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Health, has announced an emergency vaccination exercise for students at King’s College Annexe, Victoria Island, following a recent outbreak of Diphtheria at the school.
In a statement issued on Monday, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, the Director of Public Affairs at the Lagos State Ministry of Health, emphasized that the vaccination exercise is part of the state government’s proactive response to curb the spread of the disease and protect public health. Ogunbanwo added that senior government officials, including health experts, will be available to address media inquiries concerning the outbreak, ongoing containment efforts, and the broader diphtheria vaccination campaign in Lagos.
The state government has already convened a meeting of key health sector stakeholders as concerns about the diphtheria outbreak in King’s College escalated. The Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Health, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, confirmed the efforts in a conversation with Journalist on Sunday. She stated that officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had met on Sunday evening to strategize on how to contain the outbreak.
Parent Concerns Over School Sanitation
The outbreak has raised serious concerns among parents, many of whom have voiced worries over the school’s sanitation standards. Some parents blamed the unsanitary conditions at King’s College for the outbreak, claiming that poor hygiene, inadequate toilets, and issues related to the quality of food served to students may have contributed to the spread of the disease.
One anonymous parent criticized the school’s delayed response to the situation, pointing out that while the school mandated students to wear nose masks, it remained quiet about the suspected cases. The parent also shared that some students had been hospitalized, and others were taken to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital for treatment. Additionally, the parent raised concerns about the school’s communication, noting that parents had not been promptly informed about the outbreak.
Vaccination and Immunization Efforts
In response to the growing concerns, the school, in collaboration with the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board through the Eti-Osa Local Government, initiated a routine immunization campaign. The school had already circulated consent forms for parents to allow their children to receive the diphtheria vaccine on school premises.
Furthermore, a parent lamented the inadequacies of the college’s clinic, noting that there was a lack of regular consultation by a medical doctor, which affected the clinic’s ability to operate optimally and address student health concerns effectively.
The Lagos State Government has urged the public to remain calm as efforts to contain the outbreak continue, with authorities stressing the importance of vaccination and adherence to preventive measures.
