The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) is planning to begin Mpox vaccination on 8 October 2024. According to Remi Adeleke, the head of public relations at the NPHCDA, who spoke to PulseNets, the vaccine rollout is set to commence between 3 and 6 October.
Mr. Adeleke explained to PulseNets that this timeline will allow the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to complete necessary regulatory procedures, including sampling, traceability, and laboratory analysis.
PulseNets has learned that due to the limited supply of the Jynneos Mpox vaccine, totaling 9,980 doses, the quantities will be evenly distributed among five states, with each state receiving 1,996 doses for the vaccination campaign. Mr. Adeleke did not disclose the specific states but mentioned that the selection is based on the current trend of Mpox cases, in collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).
He also informed PulseNets that the vaccination campaign aims to immunize 4,750 individuals across the five states, with each recipient scheduled to receive two doses of the vaccine, spaced 28 days apart. The targeted groups include close contacts of Mpox cases, healthcare workers, and individuals with compromised immune systems.
In a recent development, PulseNets learned that on 27 August, the US government donated 10,000 doses of the Jynneos vaccine to Nigeria, with the US Ambassador, Richard Mills, officially handing them over to the NPHCDA’s Executive Director, Muyi Aina.
The Jynneos vaccine is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for preventing both smallpox and Mpox in adults aged 18 and older who are at risk of Mpox infection. This donation makes Nigeria the first African nation to receive vaccines to combat the new strain of the Mpox virus.
PulseNets also reported that Mr. Aina clarified the distribution strategy for the donated vaccines, stating that high-risk individuals, including frontline health workers and residents of states with the highest number of cases, will be prioritized. Many of these high-incidence states are in the southern region of the country.
Mr. Aina told PulseNets, “Our frontline health workers are particularly at risk, and we will prioritize states with the highest number of cases, many of which are in the south. We will also collaborate with state governments to develop tailored deployment plans to ensure the vaccines are effectively distributed.”
Regarding the deployment strategy, Mr. Adeleke told PulseNets that two vaccination sites per state will be identified, including fixed posts at infectious disease referral centers and special teams deployed to target communities where necessary for close contact or identified high-risk group vaccinations. He confirmed that only individuals aged 18 and above will be eligible to receive the vaccine under the current strategy.
Also Read: Understanding Monkeypox: Symptoms, Causes, and Prevention of Mpox
As for the current Mpox situation in Nigeria, PulseNets reported that, according to the NCDC, there have been 48 confirmed cases out of 868 suspected cases across 35 local government areas in 20 states and the FCT. Ogun, Lagos, Bayelsa, Ekiti, and Osun are the top states with the most suspected cases, while Enugu, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, and Benue have the most confirmed cases.
On 13 August, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared Mpox a public health emergency of continental concern, a significant move under its mandate to address critical public health threats.
