Africa's health agency says could start mpox vaccinations within days

ADDIS ABABA,  Ethiopia 

Africa’s top public health agency says the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and other countries on the continent could start vaccinating against mpox within days.

The DRC is the epicentre of a more deadly strain of the virus that emerged last year and has subsequently spread to some 12 other African states, with confirmed cases in at least 3 countries outside the continent.

Last week, the World Health Organization declared the spread of the new strain a public health emergency of international concern.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says vaccine doses are due to arrive  shortly.

This follows pledges by the European Union, vaccine-maker Bavarian Nordic, the United States, and Japan.

The centre says it has been working on logistics and communication strategies with countries experiencing mpox outbreaks in order to facilitate the roll out.

Its Director General, Jean Kaseya, said it was important to make sure everything was properly in place to ensure the vaccines will be safely stored and correctly administered.

The total number of cases in Africa has risen to almost 19 thousand since the start of 2024, which over 90 per cent of the cases in the DRC.

Mpox can be passed on by close contact with anyone with the infection and causes fever, muscle aches, and boil-like skin lesions.

It is usually mild, but can be fatal.