Health authorities in Africa express optimism about the imminent administration of mpox vaccines, while the World Health Organization asserts that the current outbreak is not akin to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is at the heart of a monkeypox outbreak, declared a global health crisis by the World Health Organization (WHO) recently. The lethally spreading clade Ib strain of monkeypox has been detected in at least four other African nations beyond DRC.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, the Director General of Africa CDC, Jean Kaseya, mentioned that vaccination initiatives haven't commenced yet but will begin in a few days, provided everything is in order. The vaccines should start reaching DRC and other affected countries by the end of the next week, according to Kaseya's remarks.
Monkeypox, previously called a viral disease, can easily transmit between humans as well as from infected animals (via close contact such as touching, kissing, or sexual activities) and contaminated objects like clothing, bedsheets, and needles. Symptoms include fever, severe body rashes, headache, muscle and back pain, reduced energy levels, and swollen lymph nodes as per WHO.
Over 1,400 monkeypox infections have been reported across Africa over the past week, bringing the overall number of cases to approximately 19,000 on the continent since the beginning of the year – marking a 100% increase compared to the same period last year, as per Africa CDC. The recent outbreak has resulted in over 500 fatalities, according to the latest available data from the Africa CDC.
This prompted a scramble for vaccines as health officials in Africa collaborate with international partners to address a massive vaccine shortage.
“We need to have vaccines,” Kaseya told NPR last week. “Currently, we are only discussing the availability of nearly 200,000 doses. We require at least 10 million doses. The vaccine is incredibly expensive – approximately $100 per dose. Few African countries can afford the expense of this vaccine.”
The European Union and Danish drugmaker Bavarian Nordic have pledged their support, while Japan and the United States have also offered doses, as reported by Reuters, citing the DRC's health minister.
"Not the new Covid"
WHO's announcement of a global health emergency is the second time in two years that the United Nations health agency has flagged concerns over the spread of monkeypox, which was previously restricted mainly to central and western Africa.
Monkeypox is categorized by two genetic clades – I and II. Clade II was the cause of a global outbreak that was also declared a global health emergency between July 2022 and May 2023. However, the current outbreak is primarily driven by clade I, which triggers more severe disease. The subtype primarily contributing to the ongoing spread, clade Ib, is relatively new.
The first clade Ib case beyond Africa was confirmed last week in Sweden, in a patient who had recently visited the continent.
While numerous countries worldwide remain on high alert for the virus, a WHO official on Tuesday sought to dispel fears of a new pandemic, advocating for coordinated efforts to curb the outbreak.
“Monkeypox is not the new Covid,” WHO Europe Director Hans Kluge stated during a press briefing.
Despite the need for further research on the clade Ib strain, its transmission can be managed, according to Kluge.
“We know how to manage monkeypox. And, in the European region, the steps necessary to eradicate its transmission entirely,” Kluge said.
“The need for a coordinated response is the most critical in the African region,” he added. “We can, and must, confront monkeypox collectively – across regions and continents.”
Kluge's remarks followed reports of monkeypox cases in the Philippines and Thailand in travelers who had visited Africa. In the meantime, Argentina's health ministry declared on Wednesday that tests on a crew member of a cargo ship placed in quarantine were negative for monkeypox.
This report has been updated with additional information.
CNN en Español's Federico Jofré and Mauricio Torres, and CNN's Maya Davis and Kocha Olarn contributed to this report.
In response to the monkeypox outbreak in Africa, Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya expressed the need for at least 10 million doses of the expensive vaccine, with only 200,000 doses currently being discussed. Recognizing that monkeypox is not the new Covid, WHO Europe Director Hans Kluge stressed the importance of a coordinated response, especially in the African region, to manage the spread of the clade Ib strain.
