Authorities in Congo announced on Tuesday that 50,000 doses of the JYNNEOS mpox vaccine from the United States have arrived, following an earlier shipment from the European Union. The new batch will complement the 100,000 doses previously delivered by the EU, with an additional 100,000 doses arriving over the weekend.
Starting October 2, vaccinations will begin in the provinces of Equateur, South Kivu, and Sankuru, which are hardest hit by the outbreak. Cris Kacita Osako, coordinator of Congo’s Monkeypox Response Committee, confirmed that these regions will receive priority.
The 250,000 doses represent a small portion of the 3 million doses required to combat the mpox outbreak in Congo, the epicenter of the global health emergency. The European Union has pledged more than 500,000 additional doses, though the delivery timeline is still uncertain.
Since the start of 2024, Africa has reported 5,549 confirmed mpox cases, with 643 deaths. Congo alone accounts for 91% of these cases, predominantly affecting children under 15.