The Democratic Republic of Congo is set to receive its first delivery of mpox vaccines, with more than 99,000 doses expected to arrive on Thursday, September 5. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is coordinating the distribution of these vaccines, with an additional 200,000 jabs set to arrive before the end of the week.
The DRC has been experiencing a surge in mpox cases, with over 17,500 cases and 629 deaths reported this year. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an international emergency over the outbreak, as the new Clade 1b strain spreads to neighboring countries.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a virus transmitted from animals to humans and can also spread through close contact between people. Symptoms include fever, muscular aches, and skin lesions resembling boils.