Us-donated Mpox Vaccines Arrive In Nigeria To Boost Outbreak Response
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, Nigeria, today. This vital delivery aims to bolster Nigeria’s efforts in combating the Mpox outbreak, which remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
The donation is part of a broader commitment made by the United States in September to contribute up to one million Mpox vaccine doses globally. Of this pledge, 305,000 doses are being distributed through Gavi’s Access and Allocation Mechanism (AAM), which is coordinated by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization.
According to a statement on Gavi’s website, the doses for Nigeria are among the 899,000 vaccines allocated in the first round of the AAM to nine African countries most affected by the Mpox outbreak. By the end of 2024, nearly six million vaccine doses are expected to be available for global distribution from multiple nations and organizations.
Dr. Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, emphasized the importance of the US contribution, stating, “We thank the US for these donations, which substantially strengthen the global Mpox response. 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.”
The vaccines, manufactured by Bavarian Nordic, are part of a collaborative effort to ensure equitable access across affected nations. In addition to facilitating vaccine donations, Gavi has provided emergency funding to support the vaccine rollout in countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Cameroon, and Rwanda. Nigeria previously received 10,000 doses of Mpox vaccine in August, becoming the first African country to initiate Mpox vaccinations.
Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Dawn O’Connell, underscored the global significance of the initiative, stating, “Viruses don’t respect borders, and both international and domestic Mpox coordination remains a top priority for ASPR.”
This latest shipment marks a crucial step in Nigeria’s ongoing vaccination campaign, which began in November across seven states. Gavi has also committed to covering the delivery costs of the doses it procures or facilitates through its First Response Fund, a mechanism established to address lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to the doses for Nigeria, future allocations include 273,000 doses for the DRC and 19,600 for Rwanda. Discussions are ongoing regarding the distribution of the remaining 695,020 US-donated doses.
With this latest development, Nigeria continues to solidify its position as a leader in the African response to the Mpox outbreak, leveraging international partnerships to safeguard public health.