First Mpox vaccines on their way to Africa – slow and expensive

The first 10,000 vaccines against Mpox produced by Bavarian Nordic are on their way to Africa and were donated by the USA. However, the situation of the Mpox vaccine is now being criticized for slow distribution and delayed approvals by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Critics say the process has prevented quick and easy access to vaccines in low-income countries.

According to Reuters, Bavarian Nordic’s Mpox vaccine costs $100 per dose, making it unaffordable for many African countries to buy directly. For this reason, several African governments and health organizations have had to ask for donations.

Helen Rees, a member of the Africa CDC’s emergency committee, said it was “truly outrageous” that the region was once again lagging behind in access to vaccines, just as it did during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To speed up the availability of vaccines, the WHO has now relaxed some of its procedures.

In 2022, after a second strain of smallpox virus spread outside Africa, smallpox vaccines were diverted by governments, approved by regulators, and deployed in about 70 high- and middle-income countries within weeks to protect the most vulnerable citizens.

As a result, 1.2 million people in the United States alone have been vaccinated against Mpox.

However, despite MPX outbreaks in Africa, there are currently no vaccines on the continent that are not in clinical trials.

The country currently most affected by MPOX is the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since January 2023, there have been over 27,000 suspected cases and 1,100 deaths, mostly among children, according to government figures.

However, the first 10,000 vaccines donated by the United States are not intended for the Democratic Republic of Congo, but for Nigeria, Reuters reports. This is the result of years of negotiations between both governments. In Nigeria, there have been 786 suspected cases of Mpox this year, but no deaths.

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) also says it has donated 50,000 doses to Congo, but the arrival date has not yet been set.

The 10,000 doses of Bavarian Nordic’s vaccine are expected to arrive in Nigeria next week.

English translation: Catherine Brett