The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has announced that the tentative date for the commencement of monkeypox vaccinations in Nigeria is October 8, 2024.
Remi Adeleke, Head of the Public Relations Unit at NPHCDA, disclosed this information exclusively on Friday, adding that the vaccine deployment will begin between October 3 and 6, 2024.
Adeleke explained, “The date for vaccine deployment based on the current chronogram is from October 3 to 6, 2024, time to align with the three to six-week period from vaccine receipt on August 27 for NAFDAC to conclude the regulatory procedures of sampling, traceability, and lab analysis. The tentative implementation date is October 8, 2024.”
Due to the limited availability of the Jynneos Mpox vaccine, with only 9,980 doses on hand, the vaccines will be distributed evenly across five states, each receiving 1,996 doses.
The states selected for implementation are still being evaluated in collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), based on the current trend of Mpox cases.
The vaccination will target a total of 4,750 individuals, who will receive two doses of the vaccine 28 days apart.
The priority groups include close contacts of Mpox cases, health workers, and persons with compromised immune systems.
Adeleke further detailed the vaccination strategy, saying, “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 also mentioned that additional doses of the Mpox vaccine are expected, with the final quantity to be determined by the service delivery team, ensuring Nigeria benefits from the available stock through the Africa CDC’s planned donation.
This vaccination effort follows the recent donation of 10,000 doses of the Jynneos vaccine by the United States government. Jynneos, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is used for the prevention of smallpox and Mpox in adults aged 18 and older who are at risk of infection.
Mpox, a rare viral zoonotic disease primarily occurring in remote Central and West African villages, is caused by the Mpox virus, belonging to the Orthopoxvirus genus.
In light of its growing threat, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared Mpox a public health emergency of continental security on August 13, 2024.
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