Kenya is set to receive 50,000 doses of Mpox vaccine

Kenya is poised to receive 50,000 doses of the Mpox vaccine through an international initiative designed to curb the disease's spread across Africa. This donation, which will also benefit the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda, is spearheaded by Emergent BioSolutions in collaboration with Direct Relief, the World Health Organisation (WHO), and the US government.

The vaccine distribution comes at a critical time, as the Africa CDC has reported a severe shortage, with only 200,000 doses available to meet the continent's demand of over 10 million. In response, Kenya is preparing to launch a vaccination campaign as Mpox continues to spread across the continent.

The campaign will utilise the ACAM2000 vaccine, originally intended for bioterrorism emergencies and active immunisation against smallpox. The WHO has also recommended the use of MVA-BN or LC16 vaccines to help control Mpox.

This initiative follows the WHO's declaration of Mpox as a public health emergency of international concern, coupled with a warning from the Africa CDC that Mpox now poses a significant public health threat across Africa.

Joe Papa, President and CEO of Emergent BioSolutions, stated, "As the WHO has declared, the Mpox outbreak is a public health emergency of international concern, and Emergent is ready to scale up response efforts and partner with US and global public health leaders. In the meantime, 50,000 doses of the ACAM2000 vaccine will be donated to help control the outbreak across the African continent."

Dr Raina McIntyre, Biosecurity Programme Manager, noted, "The Africa CDC estimates that 10 million doses are needed to control the epidemic on the continent. However, the current global demand for third-generation vaccines may limit the supply available for Africa."

Mpox, caused by the Mpox virus, part of the same family as the variola virus responsible for smallpox, has recently reemerged in Africa. Since July 2024, cases have been reported in four countries bordering the DRC, including Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda.

The Kenyan Ministry of Health has confirmed one case and has screened over 302,000 travellers to date. In response, the government has heightened surveillance nationwide, activated public health emergency operations centres, and established incident management teams countrywide.

The Ministry also announced the recovery of Kenya's first Mpox patient, a 42-year-old truck driver from Kinoo, Kiambu County. Counties like Kiambu, Kisii, and Migori have been placed on high alert as part of the ongoing efforts to contain the outbreak.

In light of growing concerns over a Mpox outbreak, the Health Ministry has urged counties to reopen Covid-19 isolation centres. Although only one case has been officially confirmed in Taita Taveta, several other counties have reported suspected cases.