Mpox Vaccinations in Congo

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — A vaccination campaign against mpox in Congo will begin Oct. 2, authorities said Saturday, with workers focusing on the three most affected provinces first.

Adults in Equateur, South Kivu and Sankuru provinces will be vaccinated first, Cris Kacita Osako, coordinator of Congo’s Monkeypox Response Committee, told The Associated Press.

Earlier this week, the first batch of mpox vaccines arrived in the capital of Congo, the center of the outbreak. The 100,000 doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine, manufactured by the Danish company Bavarian Nordic, were donated by the European Union through HERA, the bloc’s agency for health emergencies. Another 100,000 were delivered on Saturday.

The 200,000 doses are just a fraction of the 3 million doses authoritieshave said are needed to end the mpox outbreaks in Congo, the epicenter of the global health emergency. The European Union countries pledged to donate more than 500,000 others, but the timeline for their delivery remained unclear.

Since the start of 2024, there have been 5,549 confirmed mpox cases across the continent, with 643 associated deaths, representing a sharp escalation in both infections and fatalities compared to previous years. The cases in Congo constituted 91% of the total number. Most mpox infections in Congo and Burundi, the second most affected country, are in children under age 15

Africa has almost 4,000 new mpox cases in a week, but the wait for vaccines continues

On Friday, the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization launched a continent-wide response plan to the outbreak of mpox, three weeks after WHO declared outbreaks in 12 African countries a global emergency.

Congo issued an emergency approval of the vaccine, which has already been used in Europe and the United States in adults. For the moment, the rollout will be reserved for adults, with priority targeted groups being those who have been in close contact with infected people and sex workers, the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya told reporters on Friday.

The European Medicines Agency is examining additional data to be able to administer it to children ranging in age from 12 to 17, which could happen at the end of the month, HERA Director-General Laurent Muschel said.

The upcoming mpox vaccination campaign in Congo marks a significant step in addressing the severe outbreak affecting the region. Starting October 2, health workers will begin administering the JYNNEOS vaccine to adults in Equateur, South Kivu, and Sankuru provinces, which have been most impacted by the disease. The initial 200,000 doses, donated by the European Union and its health emergency agency, HERA, are intended to kick-start the response, though more will be needed to tackle the crisis fully.

With Congo bearing the brunt of the outbreak, accounting for 91% of Africa's cases, the vaccination effort is crucial. The Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have recently intensified their response, following the declaration of a global emergency. The campaign will initially focus on adults, particularly those in high-risk groups, with potential plans to extend the vaccine to older children based on forthcoming evaluations.

This intervention is vital given the sharp rise in mpox cases and deaths in Congo and neighboring countries. Continued international support and timely vaccine delivery will be critical in curbing the outbreak and protecting vulnerable populations.