The United States has donated 10,000 doses of the mpox vaccine to Nigeria to help combat the ongoing outbreak.
The donation, facilitated by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), was handed over to the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) on behalf of the Nigerian government.
During the handover ceremony in Abuja, USAID Ambassador Richard Mills urged the Nigerian government to continue mobilizing resources to secure additional vaccines. Mills emphasized that the donation is timely and will be distributed to areas most affected by the mpox outbreak.
The Nigerian government had prioritized the distribution of the vaccines to five states with the highest number of mpox cases: Bayelsa, Edo, Cross-River, Lagos, and Rivers. The vaccines will be administered to those most at risk, including close contacts of confirmed cases and frontline healthcare workers. Additionally, provisions have been made for reactive vaccination in other states as needed.
Ambassador Mills assured that the vaccines are safe, noting that they have undergone clinical trials and have been reviewed and approved by Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
He also highlighted USAID’s continued support for Nigeria in strengthening its primary healthcare, routine immunization systems, and overall response to infectious disease outbreaks.
Mills reiterated the importance of vaccination, especially for individuals aged 18 and older who are at high risk for mpox, noting that the vaccine is available as a two-dose primary series for those who have never received a smallpox vaccine and a single booster for those previously vaccinated.