The National Primary Health Care Development Agency has said the tentative date to commence vaccination for mpox is October 8, 2024.
The Head of the Public Relations Unit at the NPHCDA, Remi Adeleke, who disclosed this exclusively to our correspondent on Friday, also stated that the vaccine deployment will begin from October 3 to 6, 2024.
Adeleke said, “The date for vaccine deployment based on the current chronogram is from October 3 to 6, 2024, time to align with the three to six weeks period from vaccine receipt on August 27 for NAFDAC to conclude the regulatory procedures of sampling, traceability and lab analysis.
“The tentative implementation date is October 8, 2024.
“Due to limited available doses (9,980) of the Jynneos MPox vaccine, the quantities will be slit evenly (1,996 doses) across the five states for implementation. Specific states for implementation are being evaluated based on the current trend of cases in collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.”
Adeleke added that the total population targeted in the five states is 4,750 persons, who will receive two doses each, 28 days apart.
He clarified that the target population is “Close contact of Mpox cases, health workers, and persons with low immune status.”