A shipment of 11,200 doses of the Mpox vaccine, donated by the United States and facilitated by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has arrived in Abuja, Nigeria. This marks another critical step in strengthening the country’s response to the ongoing Mpox outbreak, which continues to pose significant public health challenges.

The delivery is part of a broader agreement signed in November, under which Gavi is facilitating the donation of 305,000 vaccine doses globally to support countries grappling with the Mpox epidemic.

According to Gavi’s statement, these vaccines, manufactured by Bavarian Nordic, are being allocated through the Access and Allocation Mechanism (AAM) for Mpox. This initiative, led by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, CEPI, UNICEF, Gavi, and the World Health Organization, aims to ensure equitable distribution of vaccines to the hardest-hit regions.

Strengthening Global Response
Dr. Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, expressed gratitude to the U.S. for its support, stating, “We thank the US for these donations, which substantially strengthen the global Mpox response. With legal frameworks now in place, we are working with partners to roll out these vaccines as quickly as possible.”

Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Dawn O’Connell, echoed this commitment, emphasizing the importance of international coordination. “Viruses don’t respect borders, and both international and domestic Mpox coordination remains a top priority for ASPR,” she said.

Nigeria’s Role in the Fight Against Mpox
In August, Nigeria became the first country in the African region to receive Mpox vaccine donations, with an initial 10,000 doses from the U.S. The current shipment brings Nigeria’s total to over 21,000 doses as the country continues vaccination campaigns across seven states.

Broader Regional Efforts
This delivery is part of a larger allocation of 899,000 vaccine doses distributed to nine African countries in November. The Mpox outbreak has spurred emergency funding from Gavi, with $2.7 million allocated to the Democratic Republic of Congo and $1.5 million to Rwanda to support vaccine rollouts.

By the end of 2024, nearly six million Mpox vaccine doses are expected to be available globally, including 500,000 directly procured by Gavi using its First Response Fund, which was established to address challenges highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Future Allocations
While Nigeria has received its doses, other African countries, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (273,000 doses) and Rwanda (19,600 doses), are scheduled for shipments next year. Discussions are ongoing for the allocation of an additional 695,020 doses.

This latest donation underscores the U.S. government’s commitment to combating the Mpox outbreak and Gavi’s dedication to ensuring equitable access to life-saving vaccines.