Congolese health officials launched their first mpox vaccination campaign on Saturday, a key step in efforts to contain an outbreak that has spread from its epicentre in the Democratic Republic of Congo to numerous other African nations this year.

Congolese health officials launched their first mpox vaccination campaign on Saturday, a key step in efforts to contain an outbreak that has spread from its epicentre in the Democratic Republic of Congo to numerous other African nations this year. Officials held a ceremony to mark the start of vaccinations at a hospital in the eastern city of Goma, where health workers were first in line to receive the vaccine doses. The Health Ministry warned on Friday that the campaign’s scope would be small due to limited resources. At the moment, 265,000 vaccine doses are available, though more are in the pipeline. The start of vaccinations begins to address a huge inequity that left African countries with no access to the two shots used to fight a 2022 global mpox outbreak, while they were widely available in Europe and the United States. “The rollout of the vaccine marks an important step in limiting the spread of the virus and ensuring the safety of families and communities,” the World Health Organization’s Africa director Matshidiso Moeti said in a statement. Also read: Lebanon calls on India to help de-escalate West Asia crisis: Ambassador Narsh Mpox can spread through close contact. Usually mild, it is fatal in rare cases. It typically causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body. In August, the WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern after a new variant was identified. Congo has reported more than 30,000 suspected and confirmed cases, and 990 deaths since the start of 2024 – accounting for 90 per cent of the cases reported from Africa so far this year, according to the WHO. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Congo launches mpox vaccination campaign after over 850 deaths reported this year

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Congo launches mpox vaccination campaign after over 850 deaths reported this year