The first 100,000 doses of mpox vaccine reach Congo. But it’s a fraction of what is needed

Associated Press

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Authorities in Congo say the first batch of mpox vaccine has arrived in Congo’s capital, 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. Congo’s Health Minister Roger Kamba told reporters that UNICEF is going to be in charge of the vaccination campaign in the most impacted provinces. 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.