For the first time, the World Health Organization (WHO) has prequalified an Mpox vaccine, marking a significant milestone in the fight against the ongoing epidemic. The announcement coincides with the arrival of the first MVA-BN vaccines in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the epicenter of the outbreak.
Since January, the DRC has reported nearly 22,000 Mpox cases and 716 deaths. To aid in the response, approximately 200,000 vaccine doses have been delivered by the European Union, with an additional 50,000 coming from the United States.
Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is a viral disease transmitted from infected animals to humans, with human-to-human transmission occurring through close contact. The virus causes fever, muscle aches, and boil-like skin lesions, and can be fatal in some cases.
In a statement posted on Friday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the significance of the vaccine’s prequalification, calling it a crucial step in combating the disease. “We now need an urgent scale-up in procurement, donations, and rollout to ensure equitable access to vaccines where they are needed most… to prevent infections, stop transmission, and save lives,” he said.
The WHO prequalification system assesses the quality, safety, and efficacy of medical products like vaccines, enabling the United Nations and other agencies to procure them more easily. The listing also facilitates faster procurement approvals for lower-income countries.
“The prequalification of the MVA-BN vaccine will accelerate the ongoing procurement of Mpox vaccines by governments and international agencies on the frontlines of the emergency in Africa and beyond,” said Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Chief for Access to Medicines and Health Products.
WHO declared an international emergency over Mpox last month, driven by the rapid spread of the Clade 1b strain in the DRC and its neighboring countries.
