US Donates 10,000 Mpox Vaccine Doses to Nigeria

The United States government has donated 10,000 doses of the Jynneos vaccine to Nigeria to help combat the mpox virus.

The vaccine, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is used to prevent smallpox and mpox in adults aged 18 and older who are at risk of mpox infection.

Professor Muhammad Pate, Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, expressed gratitude to the U.S. government for its generous donation.

“This is a spirit of cooperation and collaboration through the years, and this vaccine will be of great help to us.

The Federal Ministry of Health understands the importance of having a healthy nation, so all the policies that we implement and the collaborations are focused on ensuring our citizens’ health.”

Pate emphasized the Federal Government’s ongoing commitment to enhancing the health and well-being of the Nigerian population.

“We all recognize the size of our population, and we must ensure that we address every disease, especially those that pose public health concerns. On this note, I would like to extend our gratitude.”

The donation comes as Nigeria has recorded a total of 40 confirmed cases of mpox out of 830 suspected cases across the country.

The mpox virus is a rare viral zoonotic infectious disease that occurs sporadically, primarily in remote villages of Central and West Africa, near tropical rainforests.