Mpox Vaccine Shipment Arrives in Congo From US

Authorities in Congo received 50,000 doses of the mpox vaccine from the United States on Tuesday, a week after a similar shipment from the European Union. Vaccinations will start on Oct. 2 for adults in the most affected provinces: Equateur, South Kivu, and Sankuru. Since early 2024, Congo has reported 5,549 confirmed mpox cases, representing 91% of Africa's total, with 643 deaths. Most infections are in children under 15.

Last week, the first set of JYNNEOS vaccines, totaling 100,000 doses and manufactured by Bavarian Nordic, arrived in Kinshasa. These were part of a donation from the EU through HERA, the health emergency agency. Additional EU shipments brought another 100,000 doses over the weekend. The 250,000 doses received so far account for a small portion of the 3 million needed to control the outbreak, with EU countries pledging over 500,000 more doses.

To combat the outbreak, the Africa CDC and the WHO have kicked off a continental response plan, as WHO declared mpox outbreaks in 12 African countries a global emergency. Congo approved the vaccine for adults, targeting contacts of infected individuals and sex workers first, while the European Medicines Agency is reviewing administering it to children aged 12 to 17. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)