Nigeria is set to receive its first shipment of mpox vaccines today, comprising 11,200 doses donated by the United States and facilitated by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. The shipment is part of the 899,000 doses allocated in the first round of the African Allocation Mechanism (AAM) to nine African countries hardest hit by the outbreak.
This marks a significant step in the global response to the mpox outbreak, with nearly six million doses expected to be available by the end of 2024. Among these are 500,000 doses of the MVA-BN vaccine procured by Gavi in September through its First Response Fund, following the declaration of mpox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
“We thank the US for these donations, which substantially strengthen the global mpox response,” said Dr. Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi. She emphasized the importance of legal frameworks now in place to expedite the delivery of pledged doses. Gavi will also cover delivery costs for procured or facilitated doses through its First Response Fund, established in response to lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dawn O’Connell, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), reiterated the US government’s commitment, stating, “Viruses don’t respect borders, and both international and domestic mpox coordination remains a top priority for ASPR.”
The allocation includes 273,000 doses planned for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and 19,600 for Rwanda in 2024. Gavi has also provided emergency cash support of $2.7 million to DRC and $1.5 million to Rwanda to aid vaccine rollouts.
The remaining 695,020 doses from the US donation will be distributed once recipient countries are prepared to receive them, Gavi said. The global effort continues to expand as more vaccine doses are secured and delivered to affected regions.
