First Mpox Vaccine Shipment Arrives in Democratic Republic of Congo

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The first shipment of mpox vaccines is arriving in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Thursday, September 5, 2024, as part of efforts to combat the ongoing outbreak in the country. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that more than 99,000 doses of the vaccine, produced by Danish pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic, are included in the initial delivery, with the remaining doses, making up a total of 200,000, expected by the end of the week.

The DRC has been severely affected by the mpox outbreak, with over 17,500 cases and 629 deaths reported in 2024. The arrival of the vaccines is seen as a key step in curbing the spread of the virus. Jean Kaseya, head of Africa CDC, expressed gratitude for the international support, particularly from the European Union’s Health Emergency Response Authority, which helped secure the vaccines. The DRC government plans to begin rolling out vaccinations over the weekend, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The global response to mpox escalated after the WHO declared an international emergency in August 2024. The outbreak, driven by the Clade 1b strain, has spread from the DRC to 13 African countries, including Burundi and Congo-Brazzaville, and has been detected in Sweden, Pakistan, and the Philippines.

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, was first discovered in 1958 in Denmark and identified in humans in 1970 in the DRC. The virus spreads through contact with infected animals and close human contact, causing fever, muscle aches, and skin lesions. With vaccines arriving, the focus will be on immunizing the hardest-hit areas to control the outbreak and prevent further deaths. The WHO and Africa CDC will closely monitor the vaccination campaign's progress to assess its impact.