/
RSS Feed
Congolese authorities have announced the arrival of 50,000 doses of smallpox vaccine from the United States, following a previous shipment from the European Union. Cris Kacita Osako, coordinator of Congo’s Committee for the Fight against Monkeypox, confirmed that vaccinations for adults in the hardest-hit provinces—Equateur, South Kivu, and Sankuru—will begin on October 2.
Last week, the first shipment of 100,000 JYNNEOS vaccine doses, produced by Danish company Bavarian Nordic, reached Congo, marking the center of the epidemic. These vaccines were donated by the European Union through its health emergency agency, HERA. An additional 100,000 doses were delivered over the weekend, and the 50,000 doses from the U.S. will also be of the JYNNEOS variety.
In total, Congo has received 250,000 vaccine doses so far. However, this represents only a fraction of the three million doses authorities say are needed to combat the smallpox outbreaks across the country, which has become the epicenter of the global health emergency. While EU countries have pledged to donate another 500,000 doses, no firm delivery timeline has been set.
Since early 2024, 5,549 cases of smallpox have been confirmed in Africa, with 643 deaths—a significant rise compared to previous years. Congo accounts for 91% of these cases. Children under 15 in Congo and Burundi, the second most affected country, have been especially vulnerable.
In response, the African Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC Africa) and the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a continent-wide plan to address the epidemic after the WHO declared outbreaks in 12 African countries a global emergency. Congo has given emergency authorization for the vaccine, currently approved for use in adults, with priority given to those in close contact with infected individuals and sex workers, according to CDC Africa Director General Dr. Jean Kaseya.
The European Medicines Agency is reviewing data to approve the vaccine for children aged 12 to 17, with a decision expected by the end of the month, said HERA Director General Laurent Muschel. Another shipment of vaccines from Japan could arrive this weekend, though the number of doses has not been disclosed.
