MSF, Borno Vaccinate 490,000 Children Against Diphtheria

Médecins Sans Frontières, a humanitarian medical organization, in collaboration with the Borno State Ministry of Health, has completed a large-scale vaccination campaign against diphtheria.

The campaign which stemmed from a prolonged diphtheria crisis the country has been grappling with, was targeted at children under 14 years in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council.

Diphtheria is an acute bacterial infection that spreads through respiratory droplets or contact with infected wounds. It presents with symptoms such as sore throat, fever, swollen lymph nodes, and a thick, grey membrane in the throat that can obstruct breathing.

The MSF, in a statement on Thursday, said the vaccination campaign reached hundreds of thousands of vulnerable children in the state capital, a major epicentre of the outbreak.

It further stated that the first round of the campaign, held from February 9 to 15, exceeded expectations by vaccinating about 490,000 children, which surpassed the initial target of 387,000.

“A follow-up round carried out from April 9 to 15 focused on strengthening immunity among 360,000 of those previously reached.”

Despite the scale of the intervention, MSF said the limited vaccine availability constrained the full scope of the response.

“This vaccination will help to significantly boost the immunity levels of children below 14 years old in Maiduguri, the area responsible for most of the diphtheria cases we saw in our treatment centre. This proactive step is essential to controlling and preventing the disease,” the organization said, quoting its emergency coordinator, Nao Muramoto.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention reported 65,759 suspected cases and 2,229 deaths as of March 22, 2026, since the outbreak began in May 2022 and was officially declared in 2023.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between January and August 2023, a total of 4717 cases were confirmed, including 169 laboratory-confirmed, 117 epidemiologically linked, and 4431 clinically compatible cases.

The case fatality ratio (CFR) was 6.1 percent, with the highest burden of the outbreak among children aged 1-14 years.

Diphtheria cases resurfaced in Nigeria early 2025, claiming three notable lives in just two months with several confirmed and suspected cases.

Borno State remains among the hardest-hit areas, driven by gaps in routine immunisation, population displacement, and limited healthcare access due to years of insecurity.

MSF disclosed that it has treated more than 7,400 suspected diphtheria cases in the state since 2023, including 4,200 cases in the past year alone. It added that it provided extensive logistical support for the campaign, including vaccine storage, transportation, supervision of vaccination teams, and community sensitisation efforts, while the Borno State Ministry of Health supplied the vaccines.

The organisation added that the vaccination drive also led to increased case detection, with a surge in patients presenting at the diphtheria treatment unit in Maiduguri Teaching and Training Hospital, reflecting improved awareness and referrals by community health workers.

According to the statement, MSF is also supporting diphtheria response efforts in Bauchi, Kano, and Sokoto states, where thousands of suspected and confirmed cases are being managed in partnership with state authorities.

“Sustained routine immunisation against diphtheria, improved access in volatile areas and tackling vaccine hesitancy remain essential to prevent future surges of vaccine-preventable diseases like diphtheria,” the organisation said.

“Access to more vaccines is needed, as efforts to reach the children of Borno State should remain a priority to avoid further contaminations, to cut transmission and save lives,” MSF added.