The mpox vaccination drive will begin within a few days, according to Africa's top public health agency. According to a Reuters report, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Tuesday said the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and other African countries would most likely administer the mpox vaccine within days.
Africa's health agency has been working with countries dealing with mpox outbreaks. "We didn't start vaccinations yet. We'll start in a few days, if we are sure that everything is in place. End of next week, vaccines will start to arrive in DRC and other countries," Reuters quoted Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya as saying in a press briefing.
This comes after the World Health Organization declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years on August 19.
The drive to roll out vaccine doses involves working on logistics and communication strategies with international partners, including European Union, vaccine maker Bavarian Nordic, the United States and Japan before being implemented. The decision on vaccination comes in the backdrop of rapidly spreading new variants of the disease in Africa.
Jean Kaseya added, "We need to make sure that the supply chain management, the logistics are ready...to ensure that this vaccine will be safely stored and can be safely administered to people who need them," reported Reuters.
While shots will be administered in the African continent, studies on the efficacy of different vaccines will continue, the Africa CDC Director General said. This will be done to better understand which shots are appropriate in their context.
It is important to note that African states reported over 1,400 additional mpox cases last week. The number of total cases reported were around 19,000 in the 12 African countries where mpox has been detected this year, according to Africa CDC data. As compared with the same period last year, the number of mpox cases is on the rise by as much as 100%.
Mpox refers to a viral infection that causes pus-filled lesions and flu-like symptoms. The flu symptoms are usually mild but deadly at the same time. According to reports, more than one strain is spreading simultaneously in Africa.
(With inputs from Reuters)
