Africa’s First Vaccination Campaign Against Mpox Starts in Rwanda
In mid-August, the World Health Organization declared mpox a global health emergency after a new strain emerged in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and spread to neighboring countries. Africa has recorded over 26,000 suspected cases and 724 deaths from mpox in 2024.
Rwanda launched a vaccination campaign against mpox, using 1,000 doses of vaccine acquired from Nigeria under a bilateral agreement. According to the African Union health agency, hundreds of mpox vaccines have been administered since September 17.
These first vaccinations were carried out in seven districts bordering the DRC.
The vaccination campaign targets “medical personnel, cross-border workers, people working in tourism, and other high-risk groups,” Rwanda’s Ministry of Health emphasized.
In the DRC, the epicenter of the epidemic, vaccinations will begin in the first week of October, indicated Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We can say today that mpox is not under control in Africa, we still have an increase in cases that is becoming worrying for all of us,” Jean Kaseya said.
Amid the global rise in mpox cases, Russia’s consumer rights watchdog pointed to the fact that the country has its own Orthopoxvac vaccine, based on a weakened live smallpox virus, which is also effective against mpox. Developed by the scientific center “Vector,” it was registered in 2022 and provides stable immunity with a high safety profile.
