First monkeypox vaccines from US to arrive in Congo next week

As Congo battles a severe outbreak of the Mpox virus, the first doses of the monkeypox vaccine from the United States are set to arrive in the Congo next week.

This arrival follows the World Health Organization’s declaration of the outbreak as a global health emergency just last week, underscoring the urgency of the situation.

The Congo, which has reported the vast majority of monkeypox cases, is in dire need of vaccines to contain the spread of the virus. The country requires three million vaccine doses to make a significant impact, yet vaccines are currently in short supply. Japan has also pledged to donate vaccines, although details on the quantity and arrival date remain undisclosed.

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) reports that the ongoing outbreak has resulted in over 17,500 confirmed and presumed monkeypox cases and 524 deaths across 13 African countries.

Most of these cases are in the Congo, with women and children under the age of 15 being particularly vulnerable.

The newly detected strain of monkeypox recently spread outside of Africa, with Sweden reporting a case in a traveller from the Congo. This development has prompted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue a health alert, advising healthcare providers to watch for symptoms in patients who have recently travelled to the Congo or neighbouring countries.

Despite this, the CDC considers the risk of the new strain reaching the United States to be very low.

“Due to the limited number of travelers and lack of direct commercial flights from [Congo] or its neighboring countries to the United States, the risk of clade I mpox importation to the United States is considered to be very low,” the CDC added.

The WHO’s emergency declaration is intended to heighten global awareness and mobilize resources, including vaccines and treatments, to support affected regions.

The situation is especially concerning due to the higher death rate associated with the new strain, which has claimed the lives of about 3 percent of those infected, compared to 0.2 percent in the 2022 outbreak.

As the Congo prepares for the arrival of the first vaccine doses, experts emphasize the need for swift and coordinated international action to curb the spread of the virus.

The Africa CDC has estimated that over 10 million doses are required to control the outbreak. The impending arrival of the first doses marks a crucial step in what has been a prolonged and increasingly severe health crisis.

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