Nigeria Receives 10,000 Mpox Vaccine Doses from U.S. Amid Rising Cases

Nigeria has received its first shipment of mpox vaccines, donated by the United States, to tackle the ongoing outbreak. This initial batch of 10,000 Jynneos doses aims to bolster Nigeria’s response to the disease, which has seen over 40 confirmed and 830 suspected cases across 13 states.

The delivery comes as the World Health Organization recently declared mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, a global health threat. U.S. Ambassador Richard Mills emphasized that Nigeria is well-prepared to use the vaccines effectively, thanks to a strategic vaccination plan developed by the Nigerian government.

Mpox, a rare zoonotic disease transmitted from animals to humans, has been spreading rapidly across Africa. As of Monday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported 22,863 cases of mpox, with 3,641 confirmed and 19,222 suspected, resulting in over 620 deaths across 13 AU member states.

In Nigeria, the primary health care director, Muyi Aina, stated that the vaccine rollout will focus on states with the highest number of cases, particularly in the south. The country is also working to address vaccine hesitancy among the public, with WHO’s Nigeria representative, Walter Mulombo, urging reliance on scientific evidence rather than misinformation.

International support is increasing, with Germany planning to donate 100,000 vaccine doses to East Africa, where countries like Burundi and Kenya are severely affected. Nigeria continues to seek additional vaccines despite facing shortages and delivery delays.