WHO approves first monkeypox vaccine, strengthening disease response in Africa

On September 13, 2024, news from Geneva. The World Health Organization announced on Friday the approval of the first *** monkeypox vaccine for use, calling it an important step in the fight against monkeypox in Africa.

After the vaccine from Bavarian Nordic was approved, donors such as the Vaccine Alliance Gavi and UNICEF can purchase it, but due to there being only one manufacturer, supply is limited. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the approval of the first monkeypox vaccine is of great significance and called for an “urgent” expansion of procurement, donation and promotion to get the vaccine to where it is most needed and take other response measures.

According to WHO approval, the vaccine is suitable for people aged 18 and above and uses a two-dose vaccination regimen. Although it is currently not authorized for people under 18 years old, it can be used for infants, children and adolescents in specific epidemic situations. This vaccine was approved by many wealthy countries in Europe and America during the global monkeypox epidemic in 2022. Although providing millions of doses to ***s has helped slow the spread of the virus, there is limited evidence of its effectiveness in children.

Officials from the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that nearly 70% of monkeypox cases in Congo occur in children under 15 years old and account for 85% of deaths. The WHO said that since the epidemic began two years ago, more than 103,000 monkeypox cases have been confirmed in more than 120 countries, and 723 people have died from the disease in more than a dozen African countries. African experts estimate that about 10 million doses of vaccine are needed to stop the epidemic on the African continent. At present, the most severely affected Congo has received only about 250,000 doses. On Thursday, the Africa CDC said that one week after the launch of the response plan, 107 new deaths and 3,160 new cases were recorded in the past week. Monkeypox belongs to the same virus family as smallpox and has milder symptoms. In severe cases, lesions will appear in specific parts of the body.