Health authorities in Nigeria’s Ondo State have confirmed 12 cases of mpox across eight local government areas and announced a targeted vaccination campaign to contain the outbreak.
Dr Victor Adefesoye, Director of Disease Control at the Ondo State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (OSPHDA), told a stakeholder meeting in Akure on Monday that the disease, once believed to be spread only by monkeys, can be transmitted by various animals and is contagious.
The vaccination programme will run from 11 to 21 August and target adults over 18 who have tested positive, their close contacts, and healthcare workers who treated them. “We know who the targeted people are, and we have already contacted them,” Dr Adefesoye said, urging community and religious leaders to encourage uptake.
Recipients will receive two doses at different intervals. Officials also called on residents to maintain good personal and environmental hygiene.
Mpox symptoms include skin sores, rashes, fever, headache, and fatigue, according to State Immunisation Officer Florence Fadiji. She noted that any mild vaccine side effects would be far less severe than the illness itself.
