US donates 10,000 doses of mpox vaccine to Nigeria

The United States government has donated 10,000 doses of the mpox vaccine to Nigeria to support efforts in responding to the current outbreak.

The donation was made through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and was received by the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) on behalf of the federal government.

Speaking while making the donation in Abuja on Tuesday, Richard Mills, USAID ambassador in Nigeria, encouraged the federal government to continue to mobilise domestic resources to secure more vaccines to combat mpox.

“We are pleased to know that this is a timely donation that will reach the affected areas across the country and those who are most vulnerable to mpox infection,” Mills is quoted as saying in a statement issued by the US embassy in Nigeria.

The statement said the federal government has prioritised five states — Bayelsa, Edo, Cross-River, Lagos, and Rivers — with the highest burden of mpox cases.

“The vaccines will be given to those most at risk of mpox, including close contacts of cases and frontline healthcare workers, with a provision for reactive vaccination in other states as the need arises,” the statement added.

Mills said vaccines are safe, adding that safety tests have been conducted during clinical trials.

He also said the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has reviewed the results of the trials before approving the use of the vaccines in Nigeria.

“USAID will continue to provide technical support and collaborate with the Government of Nigeria to improve prevention, preparedness, detection, response, and resilience to infectious disease outbreaks,” he said.

“USAID is also supporting the Government of Nigeria with strengthening primary health care and routine immunization systems as well as supporting overall systems strengthening, including health, education, nutrition, governance systems, and the rule of law.”

Mpox is prevented through vaccination. Individuals 18 years of age and older are determined to be at high risk for mpox infection and highly recommended to take the vaccine.

The vaccine is a two-dose primary series for use in persons who have never received smallpox vaccine and a single booster for individuals previously vaccinated with a smallpox vaccine.