The News
Nigeria became the first African country to receive mpox vaccines.
An outbreak of the disease, spread by skin contact, has hit several sub-Saharan African countries, with the biggest impact so far on the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has recorded 18,000 cases and 615 deaths. Nigeria has confirmed 40 cases but suspects many more remain undetected.
There is no dedicated mpox vaccine but smallpox vaccines work, and the US granted 10,000 doses to Nigeria, which said it would prioritize health workers and at-risk communities in 13 states. The US envoy said Nigeria was given the first delivery because it had a vaccination plan in place. About 200,000 doses exist in the world, of which another 50,000 are pledged to the DRC, although no delivery date has been set.
