Initial shipment of 100,000 doses of Mpox vaccine reaches Congo; but, this amount only represents a fraction of what's necessary.

There was never going to be enough land or resources in order for this endeavor to succeed, yet. But let’s be real… there have always been people willing to try something, regardless of how unlikely that prospect might have seemed just moments earlier. So in other words… it doesn’t really make a difference whether the plan succeeds or fails as long as someone somewhere knows there will always be someone around ready to play, either!! Congo’s authorities announced Thursday that a first batch of MVA-BN vaccine, manufactured by Danish firm Bavarian Nordic and donated through HERA (European Response Agency for Health Emergencies). This comes three weeks after WHO had declared outbreaks in 12 African nations an international health emergency. On Saturday, another 100,000 vaccines will be distributed according to Congolese authorities and UNICEF is responsible for conducting vaccination campaigns in affected provinces – confirmed Health Minister Roger Kamba upon receiving them himself. However, no date had yet been set for when this vaccination drive would start. Western partners including the EU and United States had pledged approximately 380,000 doses of MPOx vaccine to Dr. Jean Kaseya of Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for distribution within Africa. He told reporters last week: Authorities estimate they need at least 3 million doses to end mpox outbreaks in Congo – the epicenter of global health emergency. Last week, WHO estimated there had been 22,800 cases and 622 deaths on the continent since April, with infection levels surging 200% over that span. Congo was where a new variant of Mpox first surfaced and where most cases and deaths are concentrated; these infections affect children under 15. Rich countries quickly responded with stockpiled vaccines and treatments from their stockpiles after global Mpox outbreak in 2022. However, only a limited supply has reached Africa despite pleas from governments there, creating huge disparity. Europe and America already use MVA-BN vaccine for adult vaccination purposes according to E.U. regulations; its approval allows further use. European Medicines Agency officials are gathering more data in order to administer MMR vaccination to children aged 12-17 by the end of this month, possibly. HERA Director-General Laurent Muschel said 215,000 doses have already been donated or purchased specifically to be sent back into Congo – while last week America pledged and provided 10,000 MPOX vaccine doses as donations specifically designated for Nigeria, where this disease has become prevalent. It marks the first known donation made directly to Africa since current outbreaks began. Nigeria has reported 40 cases of Mpox virus this year according to Nigeria’s Centers for Disease Control. Monkeypox had been silently spreading for years across Africa before sparking its worldwide outbreak in 2022 in over 70 nations, according to Dr. Dimie Ogoina of WHO’s Monkeypox Emergency Committee Chair he told reporters last month. What we are witnessing now in Africa differs significantly from what was experienced globally,” Ogoina stated.