The Democratic Republic of Congo received its first shipment of mpox vaccines on Thursday, marking a significant step in combating the ongoing outbreak. The plane carrying doses manufactured by Bavarian Nordic and donated by the European Union landed in Kinshasa around 13:00 local time. This arrival comes three weeks after the World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreaks in 12 African countries a global health emergency.
The initial shipment of 100,000 doses of the MVA-BN vaccine, manufactured by the Danish company Bavarian Nordic, were donated by the European Union through HERA, the bloc’s agency for health emergencies. A second shipment of 100,000 doses is expected to arrive on Saturday. The Congolese health minister, Samuel Roger Kamba Mulamba, expressed confidence in the vaccine’s effectiveness, noting its proven success in the United States.
The vaccination campaign is set to begin on October 8, allowing time for a thorough awareness-raising campaign to address any community mistrust. This first delivery, totalling 99,000 doses, is part of a larger effort by Europe to deliver 566,000 doses to regions most in need. The next country to receive vaccines is anticipated to be Burundi, pending authorization from their medical agency.
The arrival of the vaccine in Congo addresses a crucial issue of inequity in access to mpox vaccines. While wealthy countries responded swiftly to the 2022 global outbreak with readily available vaccines and treatments, African countries have faced significant barriers in acquiring them. This disparity highlights the urgent need for global collaboration in tackling public health crises.
The MVA-BN vaccine has already been approved for use in adults in Europe and the United States. The European Medicines Agency is currently evaluating additional data to allow its administration to children between 12 and 17 years old, with a potential authorization by the end of the month.
The U.S. also made a recent donation of 10,000 doses of mpox vaccines to Nigeria last week, signifying a step towards addressing the need for vaccine access in Africa. Nigeria, which has reported 40 cases of the virus this year, is one of the countries grappling with the ongoing mpox outbreak. The arrival of vaccines in Congo represents a crucial step in addressing the mpox outbreak and underscores the importance of equitable access to essential healthcare resources in combating global health emergencies.
