Gombe State is mounting an emergency vaccination campaign after about 332 diphtheria cases were recorded across four local government areas, officials have directed schools to support the drive. The outbreak has centred in Akko, Gombe, Kwami and Funakaye, and the state Ministry of Education has issued a formal directive asking principals to give health teams access to students and to mobilise parents and community bodies.
The ministry said the first phase of the immunisation exercise will run from Sunday, September 20, to Thursday, September 24, 2026. Subsequent doses are scheduled at fixed intervals, with the second dose to be administered 14 days after the first and the final dose seven days later. The timetable is contained in a statement signed by the Director, Schools Services, Gombe State Ministry of Education.
School leaders were instructed to inform students, parents, Parent-Teacher Associations, PTAs, and School-Based Management Committees, SBMCs, about the campaign and to allow authorised health and immunisation personnel to administer vaccines on site. The ministry urged administrators and stakeholders to cooperate fully and emphasised that preventive measures are central to containing the spread.
The statement also identifies the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools, ANCOPSS, in the state as a contact point for principals seeking further information or clarification about the exercise. No additional operational details or resource allocations were included in the release, which focuses on school-level coordination for the immediate immunisation phase.
Diphtheria is a highly contagious bacterial infection caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae. It primarily affects the upper respiratory tract, though it can also involve the skin. The illness spreads through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and via close contact with an infected individual. Common symptoms include sore throat, fever and cough, and severe cases can cause serious complications if treatment is not prompt.
The outbreak has placed schools and surrounding communities at the centre of the state’s containment strategy, with authorities relying on targeted vaccination and public awareness to prevent further transmission. The education ministry’s directive signals that the immediate next steps will be school-based immunisation during the September window, followed by the prescribed follow-up doses.
