02:01The first delivery of mpox vaccines purchased by the European Commission arrived in Kinshasa on Thursday consisting of 100,000 doses of the MVA-BN vaccine manufactured by Danish pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic.
Footage from Kinshasa's airport shows airport staff handling the vaccine boxes adorned with the EU flag, while authorities documented the arrival with photographs and discussions. These vaccines are the only ones currently approved in Europe and the United States and are intended for adult use, with ongoing trials for children over 12.
According to media reports, the vaccines were donated by the EU through HERA, the bloc's health emergencies agency, following the World Health Organisation's declaration of mpox outbreaks in 12 African countries as a global emergency. Congolese authorities have confirmed that an additional 100,000 doses are expected on Saturday.
UNICEF will oversee the vaccination campaign in the provinces most affected by mpox, according to Congo's Health Minister, Roger Kamba. However, the start date for the vaccination drive remains unclear.
Despite promises of around 380,000 doses from Western partners like the EU and the United States, this falls short of the three million doses needed to control the outbreak in the DRC, which is at the epicentre of the global health emergency.
Last week, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported over 22,800 mpox cases and 622 deaths across the continent, with a significant portion occurring in the DRC, where most infections are among children under 15.
EU's first batch of 100,000 mpox vaccines finally arrives in Kinshasa as authorities claim 3 million needed to control disease
The first delivery of mpox vaccines purchased by the European Commission arrived in Kinshasa on Thursday consisting of 100,000 doses of the MVA-BN vaccine manufactured by Danish pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic.
Footage from Kinshasa's airport shows airport staff handling the vaccine boxes adorned with the EU flag, while authorities documented the arrival with photographs and discussions. These vaccines are the only ones currently approved in Europe and the United States and are intended for adult use, with ongoing trials for children over 12.
According to media reports, the vaccines were donated by the EU through HERA, the bloc's health emergencies agency, following the World Health Organisation's declaration of mpox outbreaks in 12 African countries as a global emergency. Congolese authorities have confirmed that an additional 100,000 doses are expected on Saturday.
UNICEF will oversee the vaccination campaign in the provinces most affected by mpox, according to Congo's Health Minister, Roger Kamba. However, the start date for the vaccination drive remains unclear.
Despite promises of around 380,000 doses from Western partners like the EU and the United States, this falls short of the three million doses needed to control the outbreak in the DRC, which is at the epicentre of the global health emergency.
Last week, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported over 22,800 mpox cases and 622 deaths across the continent, with a significant portion occurring in the DRC, where most infections are among children under 15.
The first delivery of mpox vaccines purchased by the European Commission arrived in Kinshasa on Thursday consisting of 100,000 doses of the MVA-BN vaccine manufactured by Danish pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic.
Footage from Kinshasa's airport shows airport staff handling the vaccine boxes adorned with the EU flag, while authorities documented the arrival with photographs and discussions. These vaccines are the only ones currently approved in Europe and the United States and are intended for adult use, with ongoing trials for children over 12.
According to media reports, the vaccines were donated by the EU through HERA, the bloc's health emergencies agency, following the World Health Organisation's declaration of mpox outbreaks in 12 African countries as a global emergency. Congolese authorities have confirmed that an additional 100,000 doses are expected on Saturday.
UNICEF will oversee the vaccination campaign in the provinces most affected by mpox, according to Congo's Health Minister, Roger Kamba. However, the start date for the vaccination drive remains unclear.
Despite promises of around 380,000 doses from Western partners like the EU and the United States, this falls short of the three million doses needed to control the outbreak in the DRC, which is at the epicentre of the global health emergency.
Last week, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported over 22,800 mpox cases and 622 deaths across the continent, with a significant portion occurring in the DRC, where most infections are among children under 15.