Nigeria Becomes First African Nation to Receive Mpox Vaccines – WHO
On Wednesday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that Nigeria is the first African country to receive mpox vaccines.
According to a statement from the WHO regional office, Nigeria received 10,000 doses of mpox vaccines on Tuesday to help curb the spread of the new strain of the mpox virus.
The Jynneos (MVA) vaccine, donated by the United States government, will be distributed across five states in Nigeria where the majority of mpox cases have been reported.
On August 14, the United Nations health agency declared mpox a global public health emergency.Following the declaration, WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus stated that he was working with partners to ensure equitable access to vaccines.
The MVA vaccine will be administered to 5,000 individuals at the highest risk of contracting the virus, following a two-dose regimen.
“This includes close contacts of mpox cases and frontline healthcare workers, with provisions for reactive vaccination in other states as needed,” WHO stated.
Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, highlighted that the delivery of the mpox vaccines to Nigeria is a significant boost to ongoing efforts to stop the virus and protect public health. She also noted that it serves as a testament to international solidarity during global public health emergencies.
However, Dr. Moeti expressed concern over the “serious gaps in mpox vaccine access” across Africa.As of August 10, Nigeria has confirmed 39 cases of mpox.
