The Gombe diphtheria outbreak has prompted an emergency vaccination exercise after about 332 cases were recorded across four local government areas.
The affected areas are Akko, Gombe, Kwami and Funakaye, according to information from the Gombe State Government.
The state Ministry of Education has directed schools to cooperate with health officials during the immunisation exercise as authorities step up efforts to contain the Gombe diphtheria outbreak.
The first phase of the vaccination exercise is scheduled for Sunday, September 20, and will run until Thursday, September 24, 2026.
The ministry said additional doses would be administered according to a specified schedule. The second dose will be given 14 days after the first, while the final dose will follow seven days later.
In a directive signed by the Director of Schools Services, principals were instructed to notify students, parents, Parent-Teacher Associations and School-Based Management Committees about the exercise.
School authorities were also asked to provide authorised health and immunisation personnel with access to students for vaccination.
The Ministry of Education urged principals and other stakeholders to give the exercise full cooperation.
The directive stressed the importance of preventive measures as health authorities work to limit transmission of the Gombe diphtheria outbreak.
Principals requiring further information or clarification were advised to contact the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools, ANCOPSS, in the state.
Diphtheria is a highly contagious bacterial infection caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae. It mainly affects the upper respiratory tract but can also affect the skin.
The infection can spread through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Close contact with an infected person can also facilitate transmission.
Common symptoms include sore throat, fever and cough. Severe infections can result in serious complications when treatment is delayed.
With schools and communities in the four affected LGAs at the centre of containment efforts, vaccination and public awareness remain key measures being deployed by the state to prevent further spread.
