On Saturday, Congolese health officials initiated their first mpox vaccination campaign, a crucial step in efforts to contain an outbreak that has spread from its epicenter in the Democratic Republic of Congo to several other African nations this year.
The vaccination campaign was formally launched at a hospital in Goma, where health workers were the first to receive vaccine doses. However, the Health Ministry cautioned that the campaign’s reach would be limited due to scarce resources, with only 265,000 vaccine doses currently available, although more are expected in the future.
This vaccination rollout aims to address significant inequities, as many African countries had no access to the two vaccines used during the global mpox outbreak in 2022, while they were readily available in Europe and the United States.
“The rollout of the vaccine marks an important step in limiting the spread of the virus and ensuring the safety of families and communities,” stated Matshidiso Moeti, the World Health Organization’s Africa director.
Mpox spreads through close contact and typically presents mild symptoms, although it can be fatal in rare cases. Common symptoms include flu-like effects and pus-filled lesions on the body.
In August, the WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern after identifying a new variant. Since the beginning of 2024, Congo has reported over 30,000 suspected and confirmed cases and 990 deaths, accounting for 90% of Africa’s reported cases this year, according to WHO data.
