The Democratic Republic of Congo has launched its first vaccination campaign against mpox in the eastern city of Goma, targeting health workers and those with existing health issues. The campaign began with hospital staff receiving the vaccine on Saturday, with the wider vaccine drive set to start on Monday in the eastern region where the outbreak originated last year. The DRC Ministry of Public Health cautioned that the campaign would be limited due to a lack of resources, with only 265,000 doses currently available. Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba stated that the goal is to prioritize the distribution of vaccines to high-risk groups.
Additional doses of the vaccine are expected to arrive from countries like France, Japan, and the United States, with President Joe Biden announcing plans to donate one million doses to African nations. The World Health Organization’s Africa Director emphasized the importance of the vaccine rollout in controlling the spread of the virus and protecting communities.
Since the beginning of 2024, the DRC has reported over 30,000 suspected and confirmed cases of mpox, with 900 deaths. The highly infectious virus can be transmitted through close contact with infected individuals or animals, causing flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body. The emergence of a new variant, clade Ib, led the WHO to declare mpox a public health emergency in August. The virus has been detected in 16 African countries this year, prompting the WHO to approve a PCR test for detection by swabbing skin lesions. The DRC is expected to receive 4,500 tests, although no specific arrival date has been provided.
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