EU-donated mpox vaccines arrive in DRC after WHO declared health emergency
The 100,000 doses of the MVA-BN vaccine, manufactured by the Danish company Bavarian Nordic, have been donated through HERA, the EU's agency for health emergencies.
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00:00The first batch of MPOX vaccines has arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo, three
00:06weeks after the World Health Organization declared a health emergency of international
00:11concern. The 100,000 doses manufactured by the Danish company Bavarian Nordic have been
00:17donated by the European Union through HERA, the bloc's agency for health emergencies.
00:23These deliveries are part of the 215,000 vaccine doses that the European Commission's HERA,
00:29that is the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority, procured and also
00:35pledged to share with affected countries in Africa.
00:39Congolese authorities confirmed a further 100,000 doses are expected to be delivered
00:44from the EU on Saturday. UNICEF will run the vaccination campaign in
00:49the most impacted provinces of the DRC, but it's unclear when the vaccination drive will
00:55begin. About 380,000 doses of MPOX vaccines have
00:59been promised by Western partners such as the European Union and the United States.
01:04The majority of MPOX cases and deaths are in the DRC, where the new variant was first
01:09detected and where most infections are in children under 15.
01:13Following the global MPOX outbreak in 2022, wealthy countries quickly responded with vaccines
01:19and treatments from their stockpiles. However, only a few doses have reached Africa
01:24despite pleas from governments there.