KINSHASA: The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will begin its vaccination campaign against mpox on October 2 to combat a significant outbreak that has led to over 24,000 reported cases and nearly 800 deaths this year, the public health institute said on Thursday.
Dr. Adelard Lofungola, who leads the mpox response team, said during a press conference in Kinshasa that the vaccination effort will last for ten days, initially targeting medical personnel, children, and vulnerable groups, including sex workers.
The DRC is currently at the epicenter of the mpox outbreak in Africa, with 24,035 confirmed cases and 789 fatalities reported since January.
Logistical challenges will accompany the vaccination rollout, as health authorities must maintain vaccine doses at -20 degrees Celsius (-4 Fahrenheit) while transporting them across a territory that is four times the size of France.
Dr. Lofungola acknowledged that some communities will need to be convinced to refrain from self-medication, which complicates the public health messaging.
The DRC has received 265,000 vaccine doses donated by the European Union and the United States, manufactured by the Danish laboratory Bavarian Nordic. However, the current vaccine is only suitable for adults.
To address the need for child vaccinations, the DRC’s foreign affairs ministry recently signed a “memorandum of understanding” with Japan for the delivery of five million doses intended for pediatric use. Dr. Lofungola expressed hope that these child-friendly vaccines would arrive before the campaign begins.
Recent reports have highlighted the tragic emergence of two deaths in the relatively unaffected province of North Kivu, including a 14-day-old newborn and an 8-year-old child. The deaths are attributed to mother-to-child transmission. Dr. Lofungola said that the situation remains under local control for now.
Several mpox epidemics are currently present in Africa, but the outbreak in DRC has become complicated with the appearance of the Clade 1b virus variant. Specialists say it is difficult to assess how dangerous and contagious the new variant is.
Mpox is currently present in at least 14 African countries, including Burundi, Congo-Brazzaville, and the Central African Republic, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
