Nigeria set to receive 11,200 doses of Mpox vaccine

Nigeria is set to receive 11,200 doses of Mpox vaccine, donated by the United States of America and facilitated by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

Gavi, on its website, reported that the vaccine has been shipped to Abuja, Nigeria, with delivery expected today, Friday.

This follows agreements signed in November by Gavi to facilitate the donation of 305,000 doses of Mpox vaccine to support the global and continental response to the ongoing outbreak.

The group noted that “the doses, manufactured by Bavarian Nordic, have been allocated to affected countries through the Access and Allocation Mechanism for Mpox, led by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, Gavi, UNICEF, and the World Health Organisation”.

Global response

The donation is part of a larger effort to combat the Mpox outbreak, which continues to constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

Gavi has also provided emergency funding to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, and Rwanda, as well as 500,000 directly procured vaccines alongside funding for delivery and other related costs.

Also, in August, Nigeria received 10,000 doses of Mpox vaccine donation from the US government, making it the first country to receive the vaccine.

Gavi’s efforts have been bolstered by the US government’s commitment to providing over a million Mpox vaccines to international communities dealing with the current outbreak.

The organisation stated that it has also established a first response fund to cover delivery costs of the doses it procures or facilitates.

The Mpox vaccine donation is expected to strengthen the global response to the outbreak, with nearly 6 million vaccine doses from multiple nations and organisations expected to be available by the end of 2024.

This includes 500,000 doses of the MVA-BN vaccine that Gavi procured utilising the first response fund in September, a month after the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) was declared.

Gavi CEO speaks

The CEO of Gavi, Sania Nishtar, appreciated the donation from the US government.

“We thank the US for these donations, which substantially strengthen the global Mpox response. In addition to the 500,000 doses that Gavi procured directly in September through our first response fund, working with our donors, we now have legal frameworks in place to facilitate a substantial volume of additional pledged doses, which we will work with our partners to ensure are rolled out as quickly as possible”, she said.

The Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Dawn O’Connell said “The donation through Gavi builds on the U.S. government’s commitment to providing over a million Mpox vaccines to international communities dealing with the current Mpox outbreak. Viruses don’t respect borders, and both international and domestic Mpox coordination remains a top priority for ASPR”.

Country-specific allocations

The organisation noted that as per the Access and Allocation Mechanism (AAM), the allocation of the US doses includes the now-shipped and soon-to-be-delivered 11,200 doses to Nigeria.

Next year, 273,000 doses are planned for the Democratic Republic of Congo, and 19,600 doses for Rwanda.

Gavi said it is in discussion with the US regarding the remaining 695,020 doses, which are expected to be allocated by the AAM when countries are ready to receive them.

In addition to facilitating donations from the US and Bavarian Nordic, Gavi said it has provided emergency cash support of US$2.7 million to the Democratic Republic of Congo and US$1.5 million to Rwanda for the vaccine roll-out. In November, the AAM for Mpox allocated an initial 899,000 vaccine doses to nine countries, including Nigeria, across the African region, which have been hard-hit by the current Mpox surge.

Mpox

Mpox, also formerly known as monkeypox, is a rare and infectious disease caused by the Mpox virus. The virus is a member of the orthopoxvirus genus, which includes the viruses that cause smallpox, cowpox, and camelpox.

READ ALSO: NAFDAC shuts 150 shops in Abia market

Mpox was first identified in 1958 in a colony of cynomolgus monkeys kept for research in Denmark. The first human case of Mpox was reported in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly known as Zaire).

Mpox is primarily spread through direct contact with an infected person, including touching or shaking hands, or coming into contact with their respiratory secretions, such as saliva or mucus. Indirect contact with contaminated objects, such as bedding, towels, or clothing, can also transmit the virus.

Additionally, animal-to-human transmission can occur through contact with infected animals, such as rodents or primates.

The symptoms of Mpox can range from mild to severe and may include fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, and rash or blisters on the skin, often starting on the face, palms, and soles.