Mpox: WHO, Africa CDC develop vaccination plan for Africa

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Africa Center for Disease Control have begun developing Mpox vaccination plans for 17 African countries with high infection rates.

The Africa CDC disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday.

Experts from the two public health bodies met with representatives from each of the 17 countries in Brazzaville from Tuesday through Thursday to create Mpox vaccine preparedness and deployment plans.

The experts and health partners in Brazzaville gathered to guide country representatives in creating a vaccination plan that ensures efficient use of available doses.

Africa CDC, in its statement, said: “Given the ongoing difficulties with bringing the outbreak under control using traditional public health measures, the need for effective Mpox vaccine preparedness and deployment plans has become urgent.”

Vaccine donation

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported the allocation of 899,000 Mpox vaccine doses to nine African countries, including Nigeria, and another 5.85 million doses for the African region.

The doses will be received and allocated by the Access and Allocation Mechanism (AAM) for Mpox, a framework managed by WHO to ensure equitable access to vaccines, treatments, and other health resources during public health emergencies.

The Africa CDC said the vaccination deployment guide was created in anticipation of the vaccine being delivered to the regions and each of the countries with cases of the virus.

According to the agency, the countries requested support in identifying and mapping Mpox hotspots based on the local epidemiology and planning targeted vaccination strategies to reach populations at risk of the virus.

Mpox vaccine limited

Assisting with the creation of the guide, the experts provided the current WHO recommendations and a set of tools for developing the Mpox vaccination plan.

The agency said the Mpox vaccines are limited globally, and deployment to Africa has been delayed and will likely remain limited for a while.

According to the agency, this mandates that the country be prudent and intentional about the rollout and administration of the available vaccines.

“Mpox vaccine deployments were delayed on the continent, and the supply is likely to remain limited in the near- to medium-term.”

Africa CDC also said the swift actions of African countries to roll out Mpox vaccines using definite vaccination strategies reflect an extraordinary commitment to protecting those most vulnerable.

“Achieving this progress within a short window of time underscores the ambition and resilience of our member states to halt transmission and safeguard at-risk populations.

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“This momentum speaks to the power of collaboration across the continent and with our global partners. Africa CDC remains unwavering in its support, equipping countries with essential tools, guidance, and resources to drive impactful progress in controlling Mpox,” it said.

Currently, Africa has recorded 38,000 suspected Mpox cases, with over 1,000 deaths. Most of these cases were reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In Nigeria, 1,339 suspected Mpox cases have been recorded across 67 Local Government Areas (LGAs), according to the latest data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).