The United States of America (USA) Government has donated 10,000 doses of Jynneos vaccine to Nigeria for prevention of small pox and monkey pox (Mpox).
Jynneos is a vaccine approved by NAFDAC for prevention of the diseases in adults aged 18 years as well as older people who are at risk of the infections.
Last Friday, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention reported that Nigeria had recorded a total of 40 confirmed cases of mpox out of 830 suspected cases across the country.
During the official handover of the vaccine to Nigeria in Abuja on Tuesday, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, lauded the US government for the gesture.
Pate who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Daju Kachollom, however, restated the Federal Government’s commitment to improving the wellbeing of Nigerians.
“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,” he said.
“Thank you for the 10,000 doses, and we look forward to receiving more. I also want to thank our development partners, USAID, PEPFAR, WHO, UNICEF and all the UN organisations. Your collaboration is greatly appreciated and this will significantly aid those in need,” the minister said.
“We all recognise 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,” he said.
Mpox is a rare viral zoonotic infectious disease (i.e. an infection transmitted from animals to humans) that occurs sporadically, primarily in remote villages of Central and West Africa, near tropical rainforests. It is caused by the mpox virus, which belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae.
On August 13, 2024, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared mpox a public health emergency of continental security, acting under its mandate to address significant public health threats.
