By — Associated Press Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/first-batch-of-mpox-vaccines-arrive-in-congo-as-health-officials-say-3-million-doses-needed Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter First batch of mpox vaccines arrive in Congo as health officials say 3 million doses needed World Sep 5, 2024 2:50 PM EDT KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — The first batch of mpox vaccine arrived in Congo’s capital on Thursday, the country’s authorities said, three weeks after the World Health Organization declared mpox outbreaks in 12 African countries a global emergency. The 100,000 doses of the MVA-BN vaccine, manufactured by the Danish company Bavarian Nordic, have been donated by the European Union through HERA, the bloc’s agency for health emergencies. Another 100,000 are expected to be delivered on Saturday, the Congolese authorities said. WATCH: Epidemiologist breaks down how and where mpox is spreading UNICEF is going to be in charge of the vaccination campaign in the most impacted provinces, Congo’s Health Minister Roger Kamba told reporters after the delivery of the vaccine. But it remained unclear when the vaccination drive would begin. About 380,000 doses of mpox vaccines have been promised by Western partners such as the European Union and the United States, Dr. Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told reporters last week. That is less than 15% of the 3 million doses authorities have said are needed to end the mpox outbreaks in Congo, the epicenter of the global health emergency. Mpox, also known as monkeypox, had been spreading mostly undetected for years in Africa before the disease prompted the 2022 outbreak in more than 70 countries, Dr. Dimie Ogoina, the chair of WHO’s mpox emergency committee told reporters last month. By — Associated Press Associated Press
KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — The first batch of mpox vaccine arrived in Congo’s capital on Thursday, the country’s authorities said, three weeks after the World Health Organization declared mpox outbreaks in 12 African countries a global emergency. The 100,000 doses of the MVA-BN vaccine, manufactured by the Danish company Bavarian Nordic, have been donated by the European Union through HERA, the bloc’s agency for health emergencies. Another 100,000 are expected to be delivered on Saturday, the Congolese authorities said. WATCH: Epidemiologist breaks down how and where mpox is spreading UNICEF is going to be in charge of the vaccination campaign in the most impacted provinces, Congo’s Health Minister Roger Kamba told reporters after the delivery of the vaccine. But it remained unclear when the vaccination drive would begin. About 380,000 doses of mpox vaccines have been promised by Western partners such as the European Union and the United States, Dr. Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told reporters last week. That is less than 15% of the 3 million doses authorities have said are needed to end the mpox outbreaks in Congo, the epicenter of the global health emergency. Mpox, also known as monkeypox, had been spreading mostly undetected for years in Africa before the disease prompted the 2022 outbreak in more than 70 countries, Dr. Dimie Ogoina, the chair of WHO’s mpox emergency committee told reporters last month.