The Federal Government has announced that the provisional start date for Monkeypox (Mpox) vaccinations is set for October 8, 2024, with a rollout scheduled from October 3 to 6, 2024, according to the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).
This timeline allows the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to complete its regulatory processes, including sampling and laboratory analysis, following the vaccine’s arrival on August 27.
Given the limited supply of 9,980 doses of the Jynneos Mpox vaccine, the NPHCDA plans to distribute these evenly across five states, targeting high-risk groups such as close contacts of Mpox cases, healthcare workers, and individuals with compromised immune systems.
The vaccination strategy involves setting up fixed posts and special teams at identified infectious disease centers and within communities as needed.
The goal is to vaccinate 4,750 people across the five states, with each individual receiving two doses spaced 28 days apart. Only adults aged 18 and above are eligible for the vaccine under this strategy.
On August 13, 2024, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared Mpox a public health emergency of continental significance, underscoring the urgency of the vaccination campaign.
Nigeria has reported 48 confirmed cases of Mpox out of 868 suspected cases across 35 local government areas in 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The U.S. government has donated 10,000 doses of the Jynneos vaccine, which is authorized by the Food and Drug Administration to prevent both smallpox and Mpox in adults aged 18 and older who are at risk of infection.
The NPHCDA continues to assess the need for additional vaccine doses to ensure adequate coverage for those at risk.
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