By Mario Deepromoter
Federal Government has announced that the provisional start date for Monkey Pox (Mpox) vaccinations is October 8, 2024.
The Head of the Public Relations Unit at the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Remi Adeleke, confirmed this in a statement made available to journalists on Friday.
He also mentioned that the vaccine rollout is scheduled to take place from October 3 to 6, 2024.
Adeleke explained that this timeline for vaccine deployment is designed to align with the three to six-week period required for the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to complete its regulatory processes, including sampling, traceability, and laboratory analysis, following the receipt of the vaccine on August 27.
The anticipated date for implementing the vaccination program remains October 8, 2024.
“Due to limited available doses (9,980) of the Jynneos MPox vaccine, the quantities will be slit evenly (1,996 doses) across the five states for implementation. Specific states for implementation are being evaluated based on the current trend of cases in collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention,” Adeleke added.
He stated that the overall population aimed for in the five states consists of 4,750 individuals, each of whom will be administered two doses spaced 28 days apart.
Adeleke further explained that the targeted demographic includes “close contacts of Mpox cases, healthcare professionals, and individuals with compromised immune systems.”
Regarding the vaccination strategy, the head of the PRU indicated that two locations will be designated for the vaccination process in each state.
“Fixed posts and special teams, fixed posts at sites within identified infectious diseases referral centres, and special teams to target communities where necessary for close contacts or identified risk groups vaccination.
“Two sites per state to be identified for vaccination. Only clients aged 18 and above will receive the vaccines based on the current strategy,” he said.
The service delivery team is currently assessing the number of additional doses of the Mpox vaccine that will be administered, ensuring that the country can utilize the available stock from the planned donation by the Africa CDC.
On Tuesday, the United States government gave Nigeria 10,000 doses of the Jynneos vaccine.
Jynneos is a vaccine authorized by the Food and Drug Administration to prevent smallpox and mpox in adults aged 18 and older who are at risk of contracting mpox.
Naijablitznews reports that Mpox is a rare viral zoonotic disease.
It is transmitted from animals to humans and occurs sporadically, mainly in remote areas of Central and West Africa, close to tropical rainforests.
The Mpox virus causes the disease, part of the Orthopoxvirus genus within the Poxviridae family.
On August 13, 2024, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared Mpox a public health emergency of continental significance, in line with its mandate to tackle major public health threats.
According to data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Nigeria has reported 48 confirmed Mpox cases out of 868 suspected cases across 35 local government areas in 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory.