The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will begin its mpox vaccination campaign on October 2, nearly a week earlier than initially planned, according to Cris Kacita, the head of the country’s outbreak response.
The central African nation has become the epicenter of the current mpox outbreak, which the World Health Organization recently declared a global public health emergency.
However, limited vaccine availability has hindered efforts to control the spread of the virus, which can sometimes be deadly.
Originally slated for October 8, the vaccination rollout was moved up after the DRC received its first batch of mpox vaccine doses last week.
“There are procedures that have evolved and helped reduce delays,” Kacita explained, noting that the campaign will last 10 days and focus on adults, including healthcare workers, park rangers, and sex workers in six of the country’s provinces.
Kacita acknowledged that mistrust of vaccines in some communities remains a challenge, and logistical difficulties are expected as the vaccination campaign extends across the DRC, a country roughly the size of Western Europe.
On Tuesday, the DRC received 50,000 mpox vaccine doses donated by the United States, as confirmed by U.S. Ambassador Lucy Tamlyn.
In total, the country has received 265,000 doses from the U.S. and the European Union, though Kacita stressed this supply is insufficient to cover the extensive needs of the country.
“There have been promises from France and Belgium, and the number of doses is expected to be known within the week,” Kacita added.
He also noted that Japan has pledged to donate 3.5 million doses of a vaccine that could be administered to children, who are among the most affected by the outbreak, although discussions are ongoing.
