Africa (Commonwealth Union) _ In a gesture of international support, the Nigerian government has donated 1,000 doses of Mpox vaccines to Rwanda to aid the country in tackling an outbreak of the infection. The vaccines, part of a larger batch of 10,000 doses Nigeria received from the United States in August, are Jynneos vaccines specifically designed to combat the viral infection.
Muyi Aina, the executive director of Nigeria’s National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), attributed the decision to assist Rwanda to the urgent situation the East African nation is currently facing due to active outbreaks and lack of immediate access to vaccines. In contrast, Nigeria has not yet experienced a significant outbreak.
“We don’t have an outbreak yet, but Rwanda is dealing with outbreaks around them and had no access to the vaccine,” Aina explained in an interview with BusinessDay. He emphasized that while Nigeria is not facing a full-blown crisis, it intends to distribute the remaining doses soon, prioritizing high-risk areas such as border entry points to prevent potential outbreaks.
While Nigeria has managed to avoid a large-scale outbreak so far, it has seen 1,339 suspected cases and 102 confirmed cases across 26 states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). These cases span 67 Local Government Areas (LGAs), highlighting the potential threat the virus poses to the country.
Nigeria initially scheduled its Mpox vaccination campaign for October 8th but has postponed the rollout indefinitely, despite the steady increase in confirmed cases. The country’s health authorities are closely monitoring the situation, particularly at high-risk border areas, to prevent any further spread of the virus.
The timely donation of vaccines underscores Nigeria’s commitment to supporting neighboring nations in times of need while also preparing to safeguard its own population from potential future outbreaks.
