The Democratic Republic of Congo will receive its first batch of 100,000 mpox vaccines from the European Union on Thursday, with a second delivery expected soon, the European Commission announced. This shipment represents a crucial move in addressing the mpox outbreak in Africa, particularly in Congo, where a severe vaccine shortage has hampered containment efforts.
Congo, the epicenter of the current mpox outbreak, has been waiting for vaccines as the World Health Organization declared a global public health emergency last month. The vaccines, manufactured by Bavarian Nordic and donated by the EU, aim to alleviate the health crisis.
The EU has pledged to provide 215,000 vaccine doses to affected African nations, with an additional 351,500 doses set to come from at least eight EU member states, bringing the total to over 566,500 doses. The EU also plans to bolster African health systems, pharmaceutical supply chains, and local manufacturing. A 9.4-million-euro grant will be provided to enhance access to diagnostics and sequencing by early autumn.
