Meningitis: Nigeria Receives Over 1 Million Doses of Men5CV Vaccine to Combat Outbreak
Abuja, Nigeria, April 4, 2025 – Nigeria has taken a decisive step in its fight against a deadly meningitis outbreak, receiving over 1 million doses of the pentavalent Men5CV vaccine from the Gavi-funded global stockpile this week. The shipment, announced Friday by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in a joint statement with Gavi, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization (WHO), aims to curb an epidemic that has claimed more than 74 lives and infected over 800 people across 23 states, predominantly in the north, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).
A Timely Lifeline
The Men5CV vaccine, which protects against five major meningococcal strains (A, C, W, Y, and X), arrives as Nigeria grapples with a seasonal surge in bacterial meningitis, peaking during the dry months of December to June. The outbreak, driven by Neisseria meningitidis serogroups C and W, has hit hardest in the African Meningitis Belt—a region spanning 26 countries, including Nigeria’s northern states—where low humidity and dust amplify transmission. The NCDC reported a 9.2% case fatality rate as of March 26, with Kebbi, Sokoto, and Yobe among the worst-affected states.
“This first shipment will launch a critical outbreak response campaign targeting 1- to 29-year-olds, the most vulnerable group,” said Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate, emphasizing the urgency under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. The rollout begins this month in Kebbi and Sokoto, with plans to extend to Yobe as additional doses—part of a 1.5-million-dose allocation approved by the International Coordinating Group (ICG) in March—arrive.
A Revolutionary Tool
Nigeria made history in March 2024 as the first country to deploy Men5CV, a WHO-recommended vaccine hailed as a game-changer for its broad-spectrum protection. Unlike earlier vaccines effective only against strain A—which Gavi’s campaigns eliminated from the Meningitis Belt by 2017—Men5CV tackles the five dominant serogroups plaguing the region. “This vaccine holds the potential to change the trajectory of meningitis, preventing future outbreaks and saving lives,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Friday, echoing his April 2024 praise of Nigeria’s pioneering rollout.
The campaign aligns with WHO’s 2030 meningitis elimination goal, backed by Gavi’s support for over 400 million vaccinations across Africa since 2009. “With Men5CV, we’re not just containing today’s outbreak but laying the foundation to eliminate meningitis,” Pate told TheCable, crediting partners like UNICEF, which is spearheading delivery and community engagement, and Gavi, which funds the stockpile.
A Race Against Time
Meningitis, an inflammation of the brain and spinal cord’s protective membranes, kills one in ten victims and leaves one in five survivors with disabilities like hearing loss or cognitive impairment, per WHO data. Northern Nigeria’s hot, dry conditions—often exceeding 35°C—fuel outbreaks, as seen in Jigawa last year, where Men5CV’s debut cut cases sharply after vaccinating 945,000 people, per VaccinesWork. “The turnaround was remarkable,” Jigawa’s Dr. Hassan Dauda told the outlet, a success story now eyed for replication.
As Trump’s tariffs roil global markets—S&P down 4.8% Thursday—the vaccine’s arrival offers Nigeria a rare win amid economic strain. With over 1 million doses in hand and more on the way, the nation stands poised to blunt this outbreak’s toll, setting a precedent for the Meningitis Belt’s 500 million at-risk residents. For now, health workers race to deploy this “crucial milestone,” as Pate calls it, before the dry season’s peak deepens the crisis.
