Kinshasa, Sep 14 (IANS) The first phase of a vaccination drive will begin in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the “epicenter” of Africa’s ongoing ampox outbreak, from October 2, the Congolese government has announced.
According to details of the weekly meeting of the Council of Ministers late Friday night, the vaccination campaign will run until October 11. The decision to start it has been taken after receiving more than 265,000 vaccine doses from international partners, reports Xinhua news agency.
“The process of procuring 3,000 vaccines for children is moving ahead,” the minutes of the meeting said.
A report released by Congo’s health ministry on Friday showed that the country had recorded 21,813 suspected cases of ampox, including 716 deaths since the beginning of 2024. The country accounts for nearly 90 percent of Africa’s cases.
Let us tell you that the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced the approval of the MVA-BN vaccine developed by Bavarian Nordic as the first ampox vaccine in its prequalification list.
Modified Vaccinia Ankara-Bavarian Nordic, or MVA-BN, is indicated for active immunization against smallpox, ampox, and related orthopoxvirus infection and disease in all adults 18 years of age and older.
This vaccine can be given as a 2-dose injection at an interval of 4 weeks.
“Available data suggest that a single dose of MVA-BN vaccine, given before exposure, is estimated to be 76 per cent effective in protecting people from amphibians, while a two-dose regimen of the vaccine is estimated to be 82 per cent effective,” the WHO said in a statement.
The WHO declared the ongoing ampox outbreak in Africa a public health emergency of international concern in mid-August. Nearly 15 countries are battling the deadly infection.
The outbreak began with the emergence of the lesser-understood but more dangerous Clade 1B variant. It was first detected in the DRC in September 2023. The strain has since been reported in other countries, including Sweden and Thailand.
–IANS
MK/CBT
