Africa Launches Mpox Vaccine Rollout Amid Rising Cases

Africa has begun administering mpox vaccines, with Rwanda being the first country to receive doses. The African Union’s disease control center announced that several hundred high-risk individuals were vaccinated.

The initial 300 doses were administered near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the worst-affected country with nearly 22,000 cases and over 700 deaths since January.

Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya stated, “Mpox is not under control.” Vaccinations will begin in the DRC in “the first week of October.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) prequalified the MVA-BN vaccine last week, enabling international agencies to procure it. The vaccine is administered in two doses, four weeks apart, with an estimated 82% effectiveness.

WHO recommends “off-label” use in infants, children, adolescents, pregnant women, and immunocompromised individuals in outbreak settings.