KINSHASA – Starting October 2, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will commence a vital mpox vaccination campaign as part of efforts to control the outbreak, which has labeled the nation as the epicenter of the disease in Africa.
According to Namibia Press Agency, the initial phase of the vaccination drive will span from October 2 to October 11, following the acquisition of over 265,000 vaccine doses from global partners. This development was confirmed in the minutes from the latest weekly council of ministers meeting. The government also noted progress in securing an additional 3,000 vaccine doses specifically for children. A distressing report from the Congolese Ministry of Health, released on Friday, indicates that the DRC has recorded 21,813 suspected mpox cases, including 716 fatalities since the beginning of 2024, which constitutes approximately 90% of the continent’s cases.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently classified the ongoing mpox outbreak in Africa as a public health emergency of international concern. The alarming spread of the clade 1b variant, initially identified in the DRC in September 2023 and reported in other countries like Sweden and Thailand, has heightened global health worries. The MVA-BN vaccine, developed by Bavarian Nordic A/S, has been endorsed by WHO as the first mpox vaccine on its prequalification list, marking a significant step in global health responses.