Diphtheria: 68% Of Confirmed Cases Involve Unvaccinated People – NCDC

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has disclosed that 68 per cent of confirmed diphtheria cases recorded in the country involved people who had not been vaccinated against the vaccine-preventable disease.

The agency also said 28 per cent of those infected did not know their vaccination status, noting that most of the deaths recorded were among unvaccinated persons.

Principal Health Communication Officer in the Department of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the NCDC, Michael Okali, disclosed this in an interview with Channels Television on Saturday.

Okali, who also heads the Risk Communication, Community Engagement and Infodemic Management Pillar of the National Diphtheria Incident Management System, warned that everyone was at risk of contracting the disease.

He said people who were not adequately vaccinated were particularly vulnerable to infection and could also transmit the disease to others.

Okali therefore urged parents and caregivers to ensure that eligible children and wards receive the recommended diphtheria vaccinations.

According to him, the vaccines are provided free of charge at primary healthcare centres across the country.

He also stressed the importance of early reporting and prompt medical attention in preventing the spread of the disease.

“That is why we advocated for full vaccination. For infancy, six, 10, and 14; then if you are not sure of it, there is a booster vaccine called the Td or the Tdap — it contains both the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccines. This can be used to boost the immunity of the individual,” he added.

Okali further revealed that eight states account for 98 per cent of all confirmed diphtheria cases in Nigeria.

The affected states are Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Borno, Bauchi, Plateau, Sokoto and Zamfara.

He said the country recorded 69 suspected cases, 48 confirmed cases and four deaths between August 24 and August 30, 2026.

Diphtheria is a bacterial infection caused by bacteria of the Corynebacterium group. The infection produces a toxin that can affect the nose, throat, tonsils and larynx, as well as other vital organs.

The disease can cause a greyish-white membrane to form at the back of the throat or in the nose and may lead to serious complications affecting the heart, nerves and kidneys.

Diphtheria is primarily transmitted from person to person through respiratory droplets released when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

It can also spread through contact with infected open sores or ulcers, as well as contaminated clothing and other objects.

Common symptoms include mild fever, sore throat, swollen glands around the neck and difficulty breathing.