The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has donated 10,000 doses of the mpox vaccine to Nigeria to aid in combating the ongoing outbreak.
The federal government has prioritized five states—Bayelsa, Edo, Cross River, Lagos, and Rivers—due to their high number of mpox cases and for strategic purposes. The vaccines will be administered to those at the highest risk, including close contacts of mpox cases and frontline healthcare workers, with provisions for reactive vaccination in other states as necessary.
Mpox, previously known as Monkeypox, is a viral infection affecting both humans and animals. It spreads through close contact, including sexual interactions. Vaccination is the primary method of prevention, and individuals aged 18 and older who are at high risk of infection are strongly encouraged to receive the vaccine.
The vaccine is a two-dose primary series for use in persons who have never received smallpox vaccine and a single booster for individuals previously vaccinated with a smallpox vaccine.
At the vaccine handover event to the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Ambassador Richard Mills remarked that the donation is timely and will be distributed to the affected areas nationwide, prioritizing those most vulnerable to mpox infection.
“We encourage the Government of Nigeria to continue to mobilize domestic resources to secure more vaccines to combat mpox”, Mills urged.
When questioned on the safety of the vaccine, Mills remarked, “The vaccine is safe. Safety tests have been conducted during clinical trials, and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control reviewed the results of these trials before granting approval for the use of the vaccines in Nigeria.”
