The United States (US) government on Tuesday announced the donation of 10,000 doses of the Jynneos vaccine to Nigeria in a bid to curb the viral disease of Mpox. Jynneos is a vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the prevention of smallpox and Mpox in adults from the age of 18 years and older adults who are at risk of Mpox infection. Speaking on the donation, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, thanked the US government during the official handover of the Mpox vaccine to Nigeria in Abuja.
According to the Minister, the Federal Government is committed to improving the well-being of Nigerians. Prof Muhammad, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Daju Kachollom, said, “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.
“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.
“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.” Mpox is a rare viral zoonotic contagious disease (i.
e. an infection transmitted from animals to humans) that emerges sporadically, mainly in outlying villages of Central and West Africa, near-equatorial rainforests. It is induced 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..
