Canada Donates 200,000 Mpox Vaccines as WHO Approves Bavarian Nordic's MVA-BN Vaccine

Sep 13, 2024, 09:55 AM

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has received its first 99,000 doses of the mpox vaccine, but health officials indicate that millions more are needed to combat the outbreak effectively. The country has recorded over 18,000 suspected cases and more than 600 deaths this year. Canada has announced plans to donate up to 200,000 doses of the mpox vaccine to several African nations, including Congo, Kenya, and Uganda. The World Health Organization (WHO) has prequalified Bavarian Nordic's MVA-BN vaccine, marking it as the first mpox vaccine to be added to its prequalification list. This approval is expected to expedite access to the vaccine in high-risk communities. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is confident it can raise $600 million to support the mpox response across the continent. Additionally, the UNHCR has appealed for $21.4 million to scale up health services for displaced people affected by mpox. The Africa CDC reported 107 deaths and 3,160 new cases in the last week.