First mpox vaccine doses arrive in DR Congo

The first shipments of Bavarian Nordic’s mpox vaccine have reached the Democratic Republic of Congo, confirmed by Bavarian Nordic in a press release. The vaccines are donated by the European Commission, the US government, and Bavarian Nordic themselves, with more than 250,000 doses expected to arrive. Central Africa’s DR Congo is the epicenter of an ongoing mpox outbreak that has recorded over 22,800 cases and 622 deaths across 13 African countries this year, reported by Africa CDC last month. The rising number of mpox infections adds pressure on an already strained health system, noted Bavarian Nordic CEO Paul Chaplin. The vaccine, previously used in combating an outbreak alongside Japan’s KM Biologics vaccine, is the only one approved for mpox by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), currently authorized for adults with pending approval for children aged 12 to 17.