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This article has been translated by Artificial Intelligence (AI). The news agency is not responsible for the content of the translated article. The original was published by Belga.

First European vaccines against mpox arrived in Congo

by AI | 07.Sep 2024 | Europe in brief AI

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, an initial European shipment of nearly 100,000 doses of the mpox vaccine has arrived. Belgium has also announced a donation.

A pharmacist administers a dose of Imvanex, a vaccine against mpox, in a pharmacy in Lille, Northern France, on August 10, 2022. Photo: FRANCOIS LO PRESTI / AFP

These vaccines are part of an order of 215,000 doses that the European authority for handling health crises (HERA) had placed for the benefit of African countries affected by the outbreak of the virus. A second delivery of 100,000 doses is expected in the coming days.

Belgium was one of the countries that had urged HERA to deliver vaccines. The caretaker government also decided on Friday to donate an additional 20,000 doses to the former colony. France, Germany, Spain, Poland, and several other member states have also offered deliveries. This brings the total European effort to at least 566,000 doses.

The rapid spread of mpox in Central Africa is causing concern. The Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC) reports that since the beginning of this year, there have been some 24,000 suspected or confirmed new cases of mpox in 13 African countries. More than 600 people have already succumbed to the disease – the vast majority in Congo.