Children in Congo account for 80% of mpox deaths; yet won't get first vaccine shots

As the cases of mpox, also known as monkeypox surge in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), children in the nation account for over 80 per cent of mpox deaths, however the first vaccination shots to be given in the country would not be for these children and most vulnerable patients, BBC reported.

Since 2023, more than 27,000 suspected mpox cases and over 1,300 deaths have been reported. Almost 9,000 Congolese children contracted mpox since the beginning of the year, Africa CDC stated.

Japan's LC16 vaccine would be used to vaccinate children in Congo. The vaccine, made by KM Biologics, was used to immunise more the 50,000 children against smallpox in the 1970s, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Moreover, a newer vaccine from Danish drugmaker Bavarian Nordic A/S will arrive in Congo next week. However, it is currently absent from the government’s pediatric vaccination plan, as per public health and aid agencies.

Medical adviser raises concern for children

Sharmila Shetty, a medical adviser with Medecins Sans Frontieres, said that, unlike the Danish vaccine, Japan's LC16, a 60-year-old device that pricks the skin multiple times, leaving a scar, relies on a bifurcated needle, BBC reported.

“We feel strongly that a solution must be found to vaccinate children with this vaccine,” Shetty said of the Bavarian Nordic shot. “Otherwise, children are just going to continue to needlessly die.”

Watch |DR Congo faces 27,000 Mpox cases, more than 1,100 fatalities

Notably, the delay in vaccine for children highlights the ongoing failure of governments and health agencies to protect the most vulnerable from mpox.

In this hard time, rampant malnutrition, poor sanitation and the absence of prior immunity have made children the hardest-hit group in the crisis, according to BBC.

Congo requests Japan for vaccine

Ngashi Ngongo, chief of staff at the Africa CDC, said that Congo has now submitted a formal request to Japan's government for the vaccine.

Responding to this, a spokesperson for Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said talks with Congolese officials are underway, but declined to comment on the timing and volume of the vaccine donation.

The mpox virus has been infecting children and young adults in Africa for decades through contact with squirrels, rodents and other wild animals, carrying pathogens.

(With inputs from agencies)