Mpox Vaccine Arrives in Nigeria Amid Outbreak

A shipment of 11,200 doses of Mpox vaccine, donated by the United States and facilitated by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, is set to arrive in Abuja today. This donation is part of a broader global response to the ongoing Mpox outbreak, which continues to pose a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

The vaccine doses, manufactured by Bavarian Nordic, are part of a commitment made by the US government in September to donate up to one million doses to support international efforts against the disease. The donation follows agreements signed in November, through which Gavi pledged to facilitate the distribution of 305,000 doses to affected nations across Africa.

According to Gavi’s website, the vaccines will be delivered to countries hardest hit by the outbreak, with a focus on supporting the continent’s efforts to control the spread of the virus. This includes not only Nigeria but also other countries that have been grappling with rising cases of Mpox, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Cameroon, and Rwanda.

The latest shipment marks the second donation to Nigeria, which in August became the first African country to receive US-provided Mpox vaccines.

Earlier this year, the country received 10,000 doses as part of the US’s initial response to the outbreak.
Gavi’s First Response Fund, which was established in 2023 following lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, has been key to ensuring the swift delivery of vaccines and other resources to outbreak-affected regions. The fund also covers logistical expenses, including transport and storage of the vaccines.

The vaccine distribution is being coordinated through the Access and Allocation Mechanism for Mpox (AAM), a collaborative initiative led by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization (WHO). The allocation mechanism aims to ensure equitable access to vaccines in the countries most affected by the outbreak.

The US donation to Nigeria is part of a broader strategy that includes the allocation of 899,000 doses of Mpox vaccines to nine African countries. In the coming months, additional doses will be sent to other affected nations. By the end of 2024, nearly six million doses from various donors and manufacturers are expected to be available globally.