The Democratic Republic of Congo has begun its first vaccination campaign against mpox in the city of Goma, which was hit hardest by the outbreak. The vaccines are first being given to hospital staff and will soon be administered to priority groups such as those with existing health issues and health workers. Though resources are limited with only 265,000 doses available, more doses are expected to arrive from France, Japan, and the United States. Last month, US President Joe Biden announced plans to donate one million doses of the mpox vaccine to African nations.
Since the beginning of 2024, the DRC has reported over 30,000 suspected and confirmed cases of mpox, with 900 deaths. The virus can spread through close contact with an infected person or animal and typically causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body. A new, more infectious variant named clade Ib has been discovered, leading to the WHO declaring mpox a public health emergency in August.
Mpox has been detected in 16 African countries this year, prompting the WHO to approve a PCR test to detect the virus by swabbing skin lesions. The WHO has pledged about 4,500 tests for the DRC, though an arrival date has not been provided. The vaccine rollout is seen as an important step in limiting the spread of the virus and ensuring the safety of families and communities in the DRC.
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