EU-donated mpox vaccines arrive in DRC after WHO declared health emergency

The first batch of mpox vaccines has arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 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. 

"This will be the first delivery of the vaccine to the country. The second delivery of around 100,000 doses is expected to arrive in the following days," said EU Commission spokesperson, Stefan de Keersmaecker.

"These deliveries are part of the 215,000 vaccine doses that the European Commission, HERA, that is Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority procured and also pledged to share with affected countries in Africa."

Congolese authorities confirmed a further 100,000 doses are expected to be delivered on Saturday.

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 Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, told reporters last week.

That is less than 15% of the three million doses authorities have said are needed to end the mpox outbreaks in Congo, the epicentre of the global health emergency.

Last week, the organisation said there were more than 22,800 mpox cases and 622 deaths on the continent and that infections had jumped 200% in the last week.

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