The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has confirmed that Nigeria’s mpox vaccination campaign will begin on Monday, October 8, 2024, the same day that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) reported an increase in Mpox cases to 48 across 35 local government areas in 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Remi Adeleke, Head of the NPHCDA’s Public Relations Unit, said.
The campaign will be preceded by a preparatory vaccine deployment phase scheduled from October 3 to 6, which corresponds to the three to six-week period required by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, to complete its regulatory processes, including vaccine sampling, traceability, and laboratory analysis, of the 10,000 doses of the Jynneos mpox vaccine donated by the US government.
Regarding vaccine sites and eligibility, the NPHCDA stated that the next immunisation program will be systematically conducted throughout five states based on existing Mpox case patterns.
According to the schedule, 9,980 doses of the vaccine will be equitably distributed across the five states, with each receiving 1,996 doses, while state selection will be based on current case patterns, in coordination with the NCDC.
The organisation added that 4,750 people are projected to be the targeted demographic for the vaccination program throughout the beneficiary states.
This group includes people with weakened immune systems, healthcare professionals, and close relatives of mpox victims.
The vaccination will be given to each individual twice, separated by 28 days.
Every state will have two locations for vaccinations: permanent locations at infectious disease referral centres and specially designed teams that are sent out to target areas and particular risk categories.
The agency made it clear that under the current plan, only people who are 18 years of age or older will be eligible for the vaccination.
It stated that the service delivery team is still finalising information regarding the expected donation of additional dosages by the Africa CDC.
NCDC data 48 incidences of MPV, no fatalities In a similar event, 35 LGAs in 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) saw zero deaths from the polio virus in 48 cases, according to the NCDC.
Children aged 0 to 5 make up the majority of the 48 confirmed cases, according to the agency’s situation report for week 34, which ended on August 25.
According to the study, “57 new suspected cases were reported in Epi week 34, 2024, compared to 25 cases reported the previous week (Epi week 33); eight confirmed cases were reported in week 34, compared to one confirmed case reported in week 33, 2024.
“According to the research, 20 states and the FCT will have at least one confirmed case in 35 Local Government Areas by 2024.
Furthermore, the agency reported that the cumulative number of confirmed mpox cases was distributed as follows: 17 cases were recorded among ages 0-10, seven cases among ages 11-20, nine cases among ages 21-30, eight cases among ages 31-40, and seven cases among ages 41-50.
In Essence
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency’s (NPHCDA) initiative to launch a vaccination program for mpox on September 8, 2024, is a timely and necessary response to the rising number of mpox cases in Nigeria.
With 48 cases reported across 35 local government areas in 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory, the vaccination campaign aims to curb the spread and protect high-risk groups.
The preparatory phase, involving vaccine deployment and regulatory processes by NAFDAC, ensures that the vaccines are safe and traceable.
The targeted approach, focusing on five states based on current case patterns, is strategic and should maximize the impact of the limited 10,000 doses of the Jynneos mpox vaccine donated by the US government.
