The Democratic Republic of Congo is set to receive its first shipment of mpox vaccine doses on Thursday, with a second batch expected on Saturday, according to Cris Kacita, the head of the country’s mpox outbreak response.
Congo is currently at the center of a significant mpox outbreak, which the World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared a global public health emergency. Efforts to contain the virus have been severely hampered by a shortage of vaccines.
“We’ll receive the first batch on September 5 and a second on September 7,” Kacita told Reuters in a WhatsApp message. He did not disclose the number of doses or the supplier.
The arrival of these vaccine doses is seen as a critical step toward addressing the stark inequity that left African nations without access to the vaccines used during the global mpox outbreak in 2022. In contrast, vaccines were readily available in Europe and the United States. Washington and Brussels have committed tens of thousands of doses of a vaccine produced by Bavarian Nordic and indicated that deliveries could begin soon.
Kacita expressed hope that Congo could begin the first wave of vaccinations on October 8, contingent on receiving the vaccines this week.
However, health officials face significant challenges in launching this essential campaign across a country as vast as Congo, which is roughly the size of Western Europe. The vaccine doses must be stored at -90 degrees Celsius (-130°F), and there is skepticism within some communities about participating in the vaccination campaign.
“The vaccine will not be distributed immediately upon arrival,” Kacita explained, noting that it would take about a month from delivery to the campaign’s start. “We need to ensure that the population is informed and willing to accept the vaccination.”
The WHO’s acting director of epidemic and pandemic prevention, Maria Van Kerkhove, emphasized the importance of communication in supporting Congo’s response. “We have to address how we communicate who will receive the vaccines first,” she said, warning that misinformation about the vaccines is widespread.
Due to limited vaccine supplies, initial vaccinations will target those who have had close contact with confirmed cases. While children are particularly vulnerable to mpox, Bavarian Nordic’s vaccine is not yet licensed for pediatric use. However, Van Kerkhove stated that the WHO recommends its use in children during outbreaks when the benefits outweigh the risks, a matter currently under consideration in Congo.
Mpox typically causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions and can be fatal. By August 31, Congo’s health ministry reported 19,710 suspected cases of mpox this year, with 5,041 confirmed and 655 fatalities. The virus spreads through close contact, including sexual contact.
A doctor involved in Congo’s response, who spoke on condition of anonymity, expressed concern that the success of the vaccination campaign hinges on vaccinating those near confirmed cases. However, many areas with suspected cases lack the necessary resources.
“We can’t have laboratories in places without water or electricity. This is the weakness of our current surveillance—the lack of capacity to test suspected cases,” the doctor said.
Van Kerkhove also noted that some regions in Congo have exhausted their supply of tests, calling for more resources to support the response in Congo and neighboring Burundi, which has also seen a rise in cases of the new clade Ib strain of mpox. She stressed that while vaccines are crucial, other measures, such as contact tracing and public awareness, are equally important.
In a video message on Wednesday, Congo’s health minister Roger Kamba urged citizens to practice handwashing and disinfecting furniture to help prevent the spread of mpox as children return to school.
