A donation from Korea will see the African continent receive its first batch of mpox vaccines, 50 000 doses in all, according to the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The doses will be given to health workers and people living in the hardest-hit areas. But no timing was given for the doses’ arrival.
Africa has recorded 202 deaths recorded from the disease so far, with a death rate of 19.3% across 13 countries, reports Al Jazeera.
Acting CDC Director Ahmed Ogwell said there were 51 new mpox cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the past week; Ghana and Nigeria are the other most affected countries on the continent.
In June, the WHO had said it was in the process of procuring thousands of mpox tests for Africa but was not recommending mass vaccination at this stage, said its Africa Director Matshidiso Moeti said.
Al Jazeera article – Africa to receive first batch of 50,000 mpox vaccines (Open access)
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