Federal government has received over one million doses of the pentavalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine (Men5CV) from the global emergency stockpile funded by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, as part of efforts to curb a deadly meningitis outbreak in the country’s northern region.
The shipment targets the ongoing outbreak of meningococcus serogroups C and W, which has so far claimed more than 70 lives and led to over 800 confirmed cases across 23 states.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate, described the arrival of the Men5CV vaccine as a major step in the country’s outbreak response.
He expressed gratitude to Gavi, WHO, and UNICEF for their support, noting that the vaccine deployment aligns with broader goals to eliminate meningitis and improve routine immunization nationwide.
The vaccines will be used to launch an emergency vaccination campaign focusing on individuals aged 1 to 29—the group most affected by the outbreak and will initially roll out in Kebbi and Sokoto states, with plans to expand to Yobe as more doses become available.