Nigeria has received its first shipment of 10,000 doses of vaccine to combat mpox, making it the first African nation to receive a batch of the vaccine during the current outbreak of the disease formerly known as monkeypox, BBC reports.
The Nigerian government launched efforts to secure these vaccines well before the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the mpox outbreak a global health emergency earlier this month. The West African nation has confirmed 40 cases of mpox this year, though estimates suggest that the actual number could exceed 700. So far, Nigeria has not recorded any fatalities linked to the virus.
Nigeria plans to prioritize health workers and at-risk communities across the 13 affected states in its vaccination campaign.
The health situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) is more severe, with over 18,000 suspected cases and 615 deaths reported this year. Currently, there are no mpox-specific vaccines; however, smallpox vaccines, which are effective against the disease, are being produced by two pharmaceutical companies.
The emergence of the Clade 1b variant has sparked concern among governments, scientists, and international health organizations, but its exact lethality and transmissibility remain unclear. Mpox can lead to severe health complications when untreated, presenting symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, and lesion formation.
The WHO process of securing and distributing vaccines to Africa has been criticized for its slowness. Many low- and middle-income countries depend on the WHO for evaluations of medication safety and efficacy, yet critics argue that the organization’s cautious regulatory process significantly hampers timely access to vaccines. A recent report by the New York Times stressed that the WHO tends to be “painfully risk-averse,” prioritizing its trustworthiness over rapid action.
Despite the availability of two vaccines, including those used during the last outbreak, the WHO has not yet officially approved them, citing insufficient data for a full review. WHO is expected to issue its emergency licenses for mpox vaccines in September.
