Mpox vaccine doses divvied up for 9 African countries
An initial 899,000 vaccine doses allocated to combat mpox surge in Africa
Amidst a surge in mpox cases across Africa, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other health organizations have allocated 899,000 vaccine doses for nine countries severely impacted by the viral outbreak.
Declared a global public health emergency for the second time in two years in August, mpox saw a new variant, clade Ib, emerge from the Democratic Republic of Congo and spread to neighbouring nations.
Responding to criticism of slow vaccine distribution, the WHO approved Bavarian Nordic’s vaccine for mpox in September and is considering Japan’s KM Biologics’ LC16 as another potential vaccine option.
In efforts similar to those during the COVID-19 pandemic, the WHO established a scheme to aid in the delivery of mpox vaccines, tests, and treatments to the most vulnerable populations in the world’s poorest countries.
The newly allocated vaccines will be distributed to the Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Uganda, with the Democratic Republic of Congo receiving 85% of the doses due to being the most affected country.
These vaccines, sourced from European countries, the United States, Canada, and Gavi, a public-private alliance supporting vaccine purchases for low-income countries, aim to combat the more than 46,000 confirmed and suspected cases of mpox in Africa this year, which have resulted in over 1,000 deaths on the continent.
Countering mpox misinformation:
Misinformation has sparked fears that mpox could evolve into the next pandemic. CBC’s Ashley Fraser delves into how the virus spreads and identifies those at risk in Canada.
