The government of the United States of America donated 10,000 doses of the Jynneos vaccine to Nigeria today, 27th August, 2024.
Jynneos is a vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the prevention of smallpox and monkey pox in adults aged 18 years and older who are at risk of monkey pox infection.
Speaking during the official handover of the monkey pox vaccine to Nigeria in Abuja, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, thanked the US government for the donation and stated that the Federal Government is committed to improving the well-being of Nigerians.
Pate, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Daju Kachollom, said, “This is a spirit of cooperation and collaboration through the years and this vaccine will be of great help to us. The Federal Ministry of Health understands the importance of having a healthy nation, so all the policies that we implement and the collaborations are focused on ensuring our citizens’ health.
“The Minister emphasizes that all health matters are important to him, and Nigeria is very fortunate to have such a dedicated Coordinating Minister and Dr Tunji Alausa as the Minister of State for Health. Together, we are transforming the health sector.
“We all recognise the size of our population, and we must ensure that we address every disease, especially those that pose public health concerns. On this note, I would like to extend our gratitude.” he noted.
Monkey pox is a rare viral zoonotic infectious disease (i.e. an infection transmitted from animals to humans) that occurs sporadically, primarily in remote villages of Central and West Africa, near tropical rainforests. It is caused by the mpox virus, which belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae.
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 repo
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