DR Congo to Receive 3 Million Mpox Vaccine Doses from Japan

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) is set to receive three million doses of the mpox  vaccine  from  Japan  next  week,  marking  a  significant  step  in  efforts  to  protect vulnerable children from the potentially deadly infection. The announcement was made on Thursday by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

Vaccination campaigns against mpox are already under way in DR Congo, which has been identified as the epicentre of the outbreak. However, until now, there have been no vaccines available for children, who are particularly at risk from the disease. The arrival of the doses will enable children aged zero to five to be vaccinated, a critical move considering that over 44% of the 10,533 confirmed mpox cases in the country are among children under 15, according to the latest Africa CDC data.

Japan  pledged  in  September  to  donate  doses  from  its  national  stockpile  of  LC16m8 vaccines, which were initially developed by local firm KM Biologics for smallpox but have also been found effective against mpox. However, the donation faced delays due to a legal hurdle. With the issue resolved, the arrival of the vaccines is expected to boost hopes of curbing the outbreak, which the World Health Organization has declared a global public health emergency.

The vaccine will be administered using a bifurcated needle, a method that involves pricking the skin 15 times to deliver the dose. This approach is expected to increase vaccination efficiency and ensure broader coverage for the most vulnerable children in DR Congo.