The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has received more than one million doses of the pentavalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine (Men5CV) from the Gavi-funded global stockpile to curb the outbreak of meningococcus C and W in northern Nigeria.
This was disclosed in a joint statement on Friday by the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the country has recorded 807 suspected cases of cerebrospinal meningitis and 74 deaths across 22 states as of March 26, 2025. The agency reported a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 9.2 percent.
The first shipment of vaccine doses will support an outbreak response campaign targeting individuals aged one to 29 years, the most affected group. The campaign will initially be launched in Kebbi and Sokoto states, with plans to expand to Yobe State as additional doses arrive.
