Lagos State Government Launches Diphtheria Vaccination Drive at King’s College Amid Controversy

Lagos, March 13, 2025 – The Lagos State Government has announced plans to vaccinate students and staff at King’s College, Victoria Island Annex, in response to a confirmed outbreak of diphtheria that has already claimed one life and hospitalized several students. The emergency campaign, which began this week, aims to curb the spread of the highly contagious bacterial disease. However, the initiative has sparked heated debate, with some parents and observers questioning the source and safety of the vaccines being administered.

According to state health officials, the vaccination effort is a collaborative response involving the Lagos State Ministry of Health, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). The government has not publicly disclosed the specific manufacturer or type of vaccines being used, leading to speculation and concern among some quarters. While authorities insist the vaccines are safe and effective, a growing chorus of skeptics is raising alarms, claiming that these could be mRNA-based vaccines—technology they argue is unproven and potentially dangerous, particularly for children.

Diphtheria, caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae, is traditionally prevented with toxoid vaccines, such as the diphtheria-tetanus (DT) or diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) shots, which have been in use for decades. However, posts circulating on X and other platforms have suggested, without evidence, that the vaccines deployed at King’s College might be mRNA-based—a technology primarily associated with COVID-19 vaccines like those from Pfizer and Moderna. Critics point to this possibility as a reason to reject the campaign outright.

The controversy stems from broader skepticism about mRNA vaccines, which use a novel approach to instruct cells to produce proteins that trigger an immune response. While this technology has been hailed as a breakthrough in combating viral diseases, it has also faced scrutiny. Some studies and anecdotal reports have linked mRNA vaccines to rare but serious side effects, including myocarditis and pericarditis, particularly in young males—a concern amplified by vocal anti-vaccine advocates. Critics argue that these risks, combined with what they call insufficient long-term data, make mRNA vaccines a gamble not worth taking, especially for a bacterial illness like diphtheria, where established alternatives exist.

“There’s no proof these are the standard toxoid vaccines we’ve trusted for years,” said one anonymous parent with a child at King’s College. “If they’re pushing mRNA on our kids, we have a right to know—and a right to say no. Look at the data: heart inflammation, blood clots, and who knows what else down the line. This isn’t about protection; it’s about control.”

Health Commissioner Prof. Akin Abayomi has sought to reassure the public, stating that the vaccines are part of a booster program to reinforce immunity that may have waned since childhood vaccinations. “Most children are vaccinated against diphtheria in infancy, but immunity fades over time,” he said during a visit to the school earlier this week. “The booster dose will help prevent infection in case of exposure.” He dismissed concerns about side effects as manageable and urged parents not to pull their children from school, warning that doing so could worsen the outbreak.

Yet, the lack of transparency about the vaccine’s origins has fueled calls for a boycott. “If you have kids at King’s College, tell them to reject these shots,” urged a post on X, echoing sentiments found across social media. “This is experimental stuff—it doesn’t even work against bacteria!” Such claims, while unverified in this context, tap into a broader mistrust of government-led health initiatives, intensified by the rapid rollout of mRNA vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Lagos State Government has praised its swift response, noting that 14 cases have been confirmed, with 12 students responding well to treatment. The House of Representatives has also called for nationwide vaccination and awareness campaigns in schools, citing the King’s College outbreak as a wake-up call. But for some, the push for mass vaccination only deepens suspicions.

As the campaign unfolds, parents face a dilemma: trust the authorities or heed the warnings of a vocal minority. With one student already lost to diphtheria, the stakes are undeniably high—but so too is the debate over what constitutes true safety in an age of advancing, and sometimes polarizing, medical technology.