The Democratic Republic of Congo has announced a delay in the anticipated delivery of mpox vaccines, according to its response team leader on Monday.
This comes as the country grapples with a new variant of the virus, which has spread beyond its borders.
The World Health Organization declared mpox a global public health emergency on August 14, marking the second such declaration in two years.
Congo’s health minister had initially hoped to receive vaccine doses by this week, following support pledges from the United States and Japan to help combat the outbreak.
When asked if Congo would receive the vaccines this week, Cris Kacita, head of the response team, told Reuters: “No. There are still several processes to follow.”
He explained that the Congolese pharmaceutical regulatory agency must first contact Danish manufacturer Bavaria Nordic for guidance before the vaccines can be delivered. “So we’re waiting,” Kacita added.
In mid-August, Bavarian Nordic, one of the few companies producing an mpox vaccine, notified the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention that it could produce 10 million doses by the end of 2025.
The company stated it could distribute up to 2 million doses this year.
The arrival of these vaccines would help alleviate the significant disparity that left African nations without access to the two vaccines widely used during the 2022 global mpox outbreak, while they were readily available in Europe and the U.S.
Government data shows that since January 2023, more than 27,000 suspected mpox cases and 1,100 deaths have occurred in Congo, with children being the most affected.
Meanwhile, over 70 countries outside Africa have already received mpox vaccines.
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