New York/Copenhagen – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has announced a major initiative to secure mpox vaccines for countries heavily impacted by the ongoing outbreak. Working with the World Health Organization (WHO), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Africa CDC, and the Pan American Health Organization, UNICEF aims to deliver up to 12 million vaccine doses by 2025.
To expedite vaccine procurement, UNICEF will establish conditional supply agreements with manufacturers. This means vaccines can be purchased and shipped immediately once financing, country readiness, and regulatory approvals are in place.
Beyond securing new vaccines, the collaborative effort involves facilitating the donation of existing vaccine stockpiles from high-income countries. This multi-faceted approach aims to rapidly increase access to mpox vaccines in regions hardest hit by the outbreak.
The WHO is currently reviewing applications for emergency use listing for two mpox vaccines. This review process is expected to conclude by mid-September.
The move comes after the WHO declared mpox a global public health emergency in August, following a surge in cases originating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and spreading to neighboring countries. As of today, the DRC has reported over 18,000 suspected cases and 629 deaths from mpox this year. Neighboring Burundi has confirmed over 150 cases. Additionally, cases of the clade Ib virus type have been identified in Sweden and Thailand, raising concerns about the outbreak’s geographical expansion.
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