The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has announced that Mpox vaccination is set to begin on October 8, 2024.
According to Remi Adeleke, Head of the Public Relations Unit at NPHCDA, vaccine deployment is scheduled to start between October 3 and 6, 2024. This timeline allows for the completion of regulatory procedures by NAFDAC, including sampling, traceability, and lab analysis, following receipt of the vaccine on August 27.
Due to a limited supply of 9,980 Jynneos MPox vaccine doses, they will be evenly distributed across five states, with each state receiving 1,996 doses. The specific states are being chosen based on current case trends in collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).
On Tuesday, the government of the United States of America donated 10,000 doses of the Jynneos vaccine to Nigeria.
Jynneos is a vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the prevention of smallpox and mpox in adults aged 18 years and older who are at risk of mpox infection.
Mpox is a rare viral zoonotic infectious disease (i.e. an infection transmitted from animals to humans) that occurs sporadically, primarily in remote villages of Central and West Africa, near tropical rainforests. It is caused by the Mpox virus, which belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae.
On August 13, 2024, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared Mpox a public health emergency of continental security, acting under its mandate to address significant public health threats.
Data obtained from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention reported that Nigeria had recorded a total of 48 confirmed cases of Mpox out of 868 suspected cases across 35 local government areas in 19 states, and the Federal Capital Territory.
Adeleke added that the total population targeted in the five states is 4,750 persons, who will receive two doses each, 28 days apart.
He clarified that the target population is “Close contact of Mpox cases, health workers, and persons with low immune status.”
On the strategy to deploy, the head of the PRU said two sites per state are to be identified for vaccination.
“Fixed posts and special teams, fixed posts at sites within identified infectious diseases referral centres, and special teams to target communities where necessary for close contacts or identified risk groups vaccination.
“Two sites per state to be identified for vaccination. Only clients aged 18 and above will receive the vaccines based on the current strategy.
He added that additional doses of the Mpox vaccine to be received are still being determined by the service delivery team so that the country can benefit from the available stock from the Africa CDC planned donation.