Surge in Mpox Cases Forces Nigeria to Postpone Vaccination Campaign

Amid a sharp increase in Mpox infections across Africa, Nigeria announces a delay in its vaccination campaign to assess the situation and enhance response efforts. Learn more about this health update.

Nigeria has delayed its scheduled vaccination campaign following a 500 percent increase in Mpox cases across Africa compared to the previous year.

New data from Africa’s primary disease control center, the Africa CDC, was released on Thursday. During a news briefing, Ngashi Ngongo of the Africa CDC stated that “The situation is not yet under control; we are still generally experiencing an upward trend.”

“Mauritius is now the 19th country to be impacted by the ongoing #Mpox outbreak, as #Nigeria delays its scheduled vaccination campaign. In contrast, both #DRC and #Rwanda have achieved vaccination rates of at least 100%. However, ensuring access to vaccines suitable for children continues to pose significant challenges. Since January 2024, confirmed Mpox cases have increased by an alarming 500% compared to those in 2023,” stated the report.

However, the group did not explain why Nigeria postponed the previously planned vaccination campaign.

Following the outbreak, the World Health Organization declared Mpox a global health emergency in mid-August after scientists identified a new variant of the virus spreading from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighboring countries.

The statistics are alarming: This year alone, 19 African countries have reported over 48,000 potential Mpox cases and 1,048 deaths. Central Africa is the most affected region, accounting for approximately 86% of all cases and almost all fatalities (99.5%).

“We must persist in rallying political engagement and securing the essential financial support to manage the current outbreak,” stated Ngongo.

“We want to prevent this Mpox, particularly the clade 1b strain, from evolving into another sexually transmitted pandemic that could be far more severe than COVID-19.”

The virus can be transmitted through close personal contact, including during sexual activity.

Scientists have discovered a new strain, referred to as clade Ib, in multiple European countries such as Sweden, Germany, and the United Kingdom.