The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have announced the arrival of the first shipment of 99,100 doses of JYNNEOS mpox vaccine. This shipment is expected to launch a critical vaccination campaign aimed at curbing the rising epidemic in the Democtratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The vaccine doses were officially received by the Minister of Health of the Democtratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Samuel Roger Kamba, alongside Dr. Jean Kaseya, the Director General of Africa CDC, the UNICEF Representative in DRC, Grant Leaity, and the Director General of Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), Laurent Muschel.
Since the start of 2024, DRC has reported over 4,901 confirmed mpox cases, with more than 629 associated deaths, representing a sharp escalation in both infections and fatalities compared to previous years. The introduction of the JYNNEOS vaccine is a decisive action to mitigate further spread and protect the most at-risk populations.
Following the declaration of Mpox as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS) by Africa CDC on 13 August 2024, an urgent appeal was made to the international community to secure vaccines for African nations.
‘We are pleased to receive the first shipment of close to 100,000 doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine in the DRC, with an additional 100,900 doses arriving this Saturday, 7 September 2024. By the end of the week, a total of 200,000 doses will be available in the country,” said Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC.
“These vaccines are vital in safeguarding our health workers and vulnerable populations, and in curbing the spread of mpox. This milestone is a statement to the strong partnership between Africa CDC, the European Union through the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), and Bavarian Nordic. We are fully committed to leaving no one behind in our mission to protect our people and control this outbreak.
“Receiving these vaccines is an essential step in our fight against mpox. Our commitment is to safeguard our population’s health, particularly our children, who are the most vulnerable. We will continue working closely with our partners to control the spread of this disease and ensure a healthy future for all Congolese”, Dr. Kaseya further said.
Also receiving the vaccines, the DRC Minister of Health Samuel Roger Kamba said: “Receiving these vaccines is an essential step in our fight against mpox. Our commitment is to safeguard our population’s health, particularly our children, who are the most vulnerable. We will continue working closely with our partners to control the spread of this disease and ensure a healthy future for all Congolese”.