LAGOS (Reuters) — Nigeria will start its mpox vaccination campaign on October 8, following the completion of regulatory approvals, according to a spokesperson from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency.
The first shipment of 10,000 mpox vaccine doses arrived in Nigeria on Tuesday, provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development. The country has reported 40 confirmed mpox cases, with no fatalities to date.
“Due to the limited supply of Jynneos Mpox vaccine doses (9,980), the distribution will be divided equally among five states,” Remi Adeleke, the agency’s spokesperson, informed The Punch newspaper. Each state will receive 1,996 doses.
The vaccines will undergo a three-week regulatory lab analysis before being distributed. The plan is to vaccinate 4,750 people across the five states, with each person receiving two doses, spaced 28 days apart.
Adeleke stated that the vaccine will be prioritized for those in close contact with mpox cases, health workers, and individuals with weakened immune systems.
