Nigeria receives meningitis vaccine boost amid northern outbreak

Over one million doses of the Men5CV vaccine have arrived in Nigeria to combat the ongoing Nigeria meningitis outbreak response in the north

 

[dropcap]N[/dropcap]igeria’s efforts to tackle the ongoing cerebrospinal meningitis outbreak in its northern states have received a significant boost with the arrival of over one million doses of the pentavalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine (Men5CV).

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The vaccines were supplied this week from the Gavi-funded global stockpile, according to a joint press statement released on Friday by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organisation (WHO), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) reported a total of 807 suspected cases of cerebrospinal meningitis and 74 deaths across 22 states as of March 26, 2025, indicating a concerning Case Fatality Rate of 9.2 per cent. The outbreak is primarily driven by meningococcus C and W serogroups.

The initial shipment of vaccine doses will facilitate the launch of a crucial outbreak response campaign targeting individuals aged one to 29 years, identified as the most severely affected demographic.

The campaign will initially focus on Kebbi and Sokoto states, with plans to extend to Yobe State as further vaccine shipments arrive in the country.

Professor Muhammad Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, hailed the arrival of the vaccines as a “crucial milestone” in Nigeria’s response.

He emphasised the government’s commitment under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to safeguard the health of all Nigerians, particularly children and young people.

Professor Pate also acknowledged the support of Gavi, WHO, and UNICEF in enabling the rapid deployment of the vaccines, highlighting the prioritisation of epidemic preparedness within the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative.

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, plays a pivotal role in funding global vaccine stockpiles and supporting lower-income countries with procurement, delivery, and outbreak response campaigns.

The deployment of stockpile vaccines is managed by the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision (ICG). The ICG approved the allocation of over 1.5 million Men5CV doses to Nigeria in response to the country’s request in March 2025, with UNICEF overseeing the delivery.

Francisco Luquero, Gavi’s Head of High-Impact Outbreaks, noted the success of vaccines in eliminating meningitis A from Africa’s meningitis belt and expressed optimism about combating other serogroups with the Men5CV vaccine, bringing the goal of eliminating meningitis by 2030 closer.

Meningitis, a severe infection of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, poses a significant public health threat. While various pathogens can cause it, bacterial meningitis, particularly meningococcus, carries the highest risk of outbreaks.

The “meningitis belt” in sub-Saharan Africa faces the greatest burden of meningococcal meningitis.

Dr Walter Mulombo, the WHO Country Representative in Nigeria, underscored the collaborative effort between the Nigerian government, WHO, Gavi, and other partners in bringing the Men5CV vaccine to Nigeria.

He emphasised the vaccine’s importance not only for addressing the current outbreak but also for strengthening Nigeria’s long-term health security and preventing future outbreaks.

Cristian Munduate, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, affirmed UNICEF’s commitment to supporting the government in rapid vaccine deployment, community engagement, and overall response implementation, with a focus on protecting the most vulnerable populations.

The Men5CV vaccine, approved by WHO in 2023, offers protection against the five major serogroups of meningococcus bacteria.

Nigeria was the first country to receive this vaccine for outbreak containment in March 2024 and the first globally to roll it out as recommended by WHO.

This vaccine is expected to significantly reduce meningitis cases and contribute to the global effort to defeat the disease.

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Since 2009, the global meningococcal vaccine stockpile has been accessed 68 times by 16 countries, with over 34 million doses deployed.