Congo Begins First Mpox Vaccination Drive Amid Regional Outbreak

Congo has initiated its inaugural mpox vaccination drive to tackle an outbreak impacting 13 African nations. Starting in Goma, the campaign aims to bridge the vaccine access gap evident last year. The health ministry indicates resource limitations, with 265,000 doses currently available and more expected.

Congo's health officials have taken a crucial step to curb a growing mpox outbreak by launching their first vaccination campaign. The initiative kicked off in Goma on Saturday, targeting the spread of the disease which has now extended across 13 African countries.

A commencement ceremony for the vaccinations was held in Goma, where health workers began administering doses. Despite the importance of the campaign, the Health Ministry warned that it would remain limited due to scarce resources. With 265,000 vaccine doses ready, officials are optimistic about securing more.

This vaccination effort begins to address a significant inequity in vaccine distribution. While the shots were accessible across Europe and the US during the 2022 outbreak, African nations went without. In rare cases, mpox can cause fatalities, and the WHO flagged this outbreak as a global emergency in August following a new variant's emergence.

(With inputs from agencies.)