The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has announced that the tentative start date for mpox vaccinations is October 8, 2024. Remi Adeleke, Head of the Public Relations Unit at the NPHCDA, revealed this in an exclusive statement on Friday, adding that the vaccine deployment is scheduled to begin from October 3 to 6, 2024.
Adeleke explained, “The vaccine deployment is set for October 3 to 6, 2024, in accordance with the three- to six-week timeline from the receipt of the vaccines on August 27, during which NAFDAC will complete regulatory procedures such as sampling, traceability, and lab analysis. The tentative implementation date for the vaccination campaign is October 8, 2024.”
Due to the limited supply of 9,980 doses of the Jynneos mpox vaccine, the doses will be evenly distributed—1,996 doses per state—across five states currently being assessed for vaccination, in collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC). The target population across these five states is 4,750 individuals, each of whom will receive two doses of the vaccine, 28 days apart.
Adeleke clarified that the targeted recipients are close contacts of mpox cases, healthcare workers, and individuals with weakened immune systems.
Regarding the deployment strategy, Adeleke stated that two vaccination sites will be identified in each state. The approach will include fixed posts at infectious disease referral centers and special teams to target communities where close contacts or high-risk groups are identified. Only individuals aged 18 and older will receive the vaccine under the current strategy.
He also mentioned that the service delivery team is determining additional doses of the mpox vaccine that Nigeria may receive from the Africa CDC’s planned donation. On Tuesday, the United States government donated 10,000 doses of the Jynneos vaccine to Nigeria. Jynneos, approved by the FDA, is designed to prevent both smallpox and mpox in adults aged 18 and older who are at risk of mpox infection.
Mpox is a rare viral zoonotic disease, primarily found in remote villages of Central and West Africa near tropical rainforests. It is caused by the mpox virus, part of the Orthopoxvirus genus in the Poxviridae family. On August 13, 2024, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared mpox a public health emergency of continental security, recognizing it as a significant public health threat.
Data from the NCDC indicates that Nigeria has recorded 48 confirmed mpox cases out of 868 suspected cases across 35 local government areas in 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
