Nigeria is the first country in the world to roll out the new Men5CV vaccine. Men5CV protects recipients against five strains of the Neisseria meningitidis bacteria (A, C, W, Y and X).
Nigeria is one of the 26 meningitis-endemic countries of Africa, in the area known as the Meningitis Belt. Between 1 October 2023 and 11 March 2024, Nigeria reported 1,742 suspected meningococcal C cases, including 101 confirmed cases and 153 deaths.
The vaccination campaign aims to reach more than one million people aged 1 to 29 years.
WHO: In world first, Nigeria introduces new 5-in-1 vaccine against meningitis