The United States government has donated 10,000 doses of the Jynneos vaccine to Nigeria on Tuesday.
Jynneos is a vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the prevention of smallpox and mpox in adults aged 18 years and older, at risk of mpox infection.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, who received the vaccines thanked the US government for the donation and stated that the Federal Government is committed to improving the well-being of Nigerians.
Pate, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Daju Kachollom, said the vaccines will be of great help to the country, pointing out that the donation was a demonstration of the spirit of cooperation and collaboration through the years.
He also thanked development partners, including USAID, PEPFAR, WHO, UNICEF, and all the UN organisations.
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.
As of last Friday, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention reported that Nigeria had recorded a total of 40 confirmed cases of mpox out of 830 suspected cases across the country.
