Nigeria receives over 1 million doses of meningitis vaccine amid deadly outbreak
The Nigerian Government has received over one million doses of the meningococcal conjugate vaccine (Men5CV) from the Gavi-funded global stockpile to combat a deadly outbreak in the northern region of the country.
The vaccine shipment, which arrived on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, will support an emergency response targeting individuals aged 1 to 29 identified as the most vulnerable group. The campaign will commence in Kebbi and Sokoto States, with Yobe expected to follow as additional doses arrive.
Announcing the development, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, described the arrival of Men5CV as a crucial milestone in Nigeria’s fight against meningitis. He said the measure aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to protect the health of Nigerians, especially the youth.
Over 70 lives have already been lost to the outbreak, with more than 800 cases reported across 23 states, according to the ministry. The International Coordinating Group (ICG) approved Nigeria’s request for the vaccines in March, allocating over 1.5 million doses for deployment.
UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative, Cristian Munduate, called the development a “critical step in stopping the outbreak,” affirming UNICEF’s support in ensuring timely vaccine deployment and community engagement. Similarly, WHO Nigeria Representative, Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo, noted that the arrival of Men5CV offers a significant boost to national response efforts.
The Men5CV vaccine, approved by the World Health Organization in 2023, protects against five major serogroups of meningococcus bacteria and represents a major breakthrough for countries within Africa’s “meningitis belt” a high-risk region spanning from Senegal to Ethiopia.
Gavi’s Head of High-Impact Outbreaks, Francisco Luquero, said the alliance has helped eliminate meningitis A from the region, vaccinating nearly 400 million people since 2017. Nigeria made history in March 2024 as the first country to receive Men5CV from the global stockpile for outbreak containment.
Since 2009, the global meningococcal vaccine stockpile has been accessed 68 times by 16 countries, with more than 34 million doses deployed for outbreak responses and preventive immunizations.
