Owing to the diphtheria outbreak in the boarding house of King’s College, Victoria Island Annexe, the Lagos State Government has activated its Emergency Response Committee.
The Commissioner for Health, Professor. Akin Abayomi, who confirmed this, however advised the public not to panic, as an Emergency Operations Committee had been activated to contain the outbreak and prevent undue fatalities.
According to Professor Abayomi, the index case, a twelve-year-old boy, who presented with sore throat and fever to the health facilities of the school was promptly referred and admitted to the pediatric emergency ward of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, where he was administered appropriate antibiotics and a full dose of diphtheria and toxoid serum.
The Commissioner explained that despite the timely intervention, the boy eventually died of irreversible inflammation of the heart.
“Fourteen, out of thirty-four close contacts of the deceased student who were being closely observed, developed symptoms consistent with diphtheria and were transported to the Children’s Emergency Unit at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, where they are receiving treatment and recovering”. He added.
Professor Abayomi noted that the state government in collaboration with Federal health agencies, would soon launch a targeted vaccination campaign for all consenting students of the school, both the annex on Victoria Island and the Main School in Igbosere on Lagos Island, inclusive of all healthcare providers, to strengthen immunity against the deadly infection.