First Batch of Mpox Vaccine Arrives in DRC 

The first shipment of 100,000 doses of mpox vaccine arrived in Congo’s capital on Thursday, three weeks after the epidemic in 12 African nations was declared a worldwide emergency.

Western allies, including the European Union and the United States, have agreed to provide approximately 380,000 doses of the mpox vaccine.

However, this number is less than 15% of the 3 million tablets that authorities believe are required to halt mpox outbreaks in Congo, the epicentre of the global health catastrophe.

Speaking to the media at the airport, Laurent Muschel, Director-General of HERA, announced, “Today, we are delivering 100,000 doses of the Mpox vaccine, which will arrive at Kinshasa airport at 12:10. Another flight carrying an additional 100,000 doses is scheduled for Saturday at the same time. This means a total of 200,000 doses are coming to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to address the mpox crisis. Just two weeks after the Africa CDC and WHO declared a continental and international health emergency, we are taking action to provide the necessary vaccines to protect the at-risk population.”

The European Union supplied 100,000 doses of the MVA-BN vaccine, manufactured by the Danish manufacturer Bavarian Nordic, through HERA, the EU’s health emergency agency.

Last week, the organisation reported over 22,800 mpox cases and 622 deaths across the continent, with a 200% spike in infections over the previous week.

The bulk of cases and fatalities occur in Congo, where the novel mpox strain was first discovered, and the majority of infections are among youngsters under the age of 15.

Following the global mpox outbreak in 2022, wealthy countries swiftly distributed vaccines and cures from their reserves. Despite urgent demands from African governments, only a small number of doses have reached the continent.

The MVA-BN vaccine has been administered in Europe and the United States, and the European Union has licenced it for adults.

The European Medicines Agency is presently analysing fresh evidence to potentially approve its usage for youth aged 12 to 17, which might happen by the end of the month.

Last Monday, the United States sent 10,000 doses of the mpox vaccine to Nigeria, where the disease is widespread.

This is the first recorded contribution to Africa since the pandemic started. According to the Nigeria CDC, there have been 40 instances of mpox documented this year.

While the earlier outbreak largely affected gay and bisexual males, mpox in Africa is now spread through sexual contact as well as close interactions between children, pregnant mothers, and other vulnerable populations.

Most people over 50 were probably inoculated against smallpox, which may provide some protection against mpox; but Africa’s mostly young population is largely unvaccinated and so more vulnerable, according to Ogoina.

The Africa CDC is creating a coordinated action strategy for the outbreaks, which will be presented to African leaders for approval at a meeting in September.