Nigeria is set to commence vaccinations for mpox on October 8, following the completion of regulatory approvals, according to a spokesperson from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency. The country recently received its first shipment of 10,000 mpox vaccine doses from the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Nigeria has so far reported 40 confirmed cases of mpox, with no fatalities recorded. Due to the limited availability of doses—9,980 in total—the vaccines will be distributed evenly across five states, with each state receiving 1,996 doses.
Remi Adeleke, a spokesperson for the agency, explained that the vaccines would undergo a regulatory laboratory analysis for three weeks before distribution begins. A total of 4,750 individuals will be vaccinated, each receiving two doses, administered 28 days apart.
The vaccination campaign will primarily target those in close contact with mpox cases, healthcare workers, and individuals with weakened immune systems.
