FG to begin monkey pox vaccination October 8
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has announced that the tentative start date for mpox vaccination is October 8, 2024. According to Remi Adeleke, the Head of the Public Relations Unit at NPHCDA, vaccine deployment is scheduled to occur from October 3 to 6, 2024. This timeline aligns with a three to six-week period required for the regulatory process, including sampling, traceability, and lab analysis, following the receipt of the vaccine on August 27.
Due to a limited supply of 9,980 doses of the Jynneos mpox vaccine, the doses will be evenly distributed—1,996 per state—across five selected states. The choice of these states is based on current case trends and in collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).
Adeleke explained that the target population in these states includes close contacts of mpox cases, health workers, and individuals with weakened immune systems. Each of the 4,750 individuals targeted will receive two doses of the vaccine, administered 28 days apart.
For the vaccination strategy, two sites per state will be designated. Fixed posts will be set up at infectious disease referral centers, and special teams will target communities with identified risks. The vaccination will be available only to individuals aged 18 and older.
Additional doses from an expected donation by the Africa CDC are still being arranged. Recently, the United States government donated 10,000 doses of the Jynneos vaccine to Nigeria. This vaccine, approved by the FDA, is intended for the prevention of both smallpox and mpox in adults at risk.
Mpox is a rare viral disease transmitted from animals to humans, primarily affecting remote areas of Central and West Africa near tropical rainforests. The disease is caused by the Mpox virus, which belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus.
On August 13, 2024, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared mpox a public health emergency of continental concern. As of the latest data from the NCDC, Nigeria has reported 48 confirmed mpox cases out of 868 suspected cases across 35 local government areas in 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
