The European Union‘s Health Emergency Planning and Response Authority (HERA) has announced that it will give 215,000 vaccine doses in response to the mpox outbreak in Africa.
The commission announced on Wednesday that it will purchase 175,420 doses of the Modified Vaccinia Ankara-Bavarian Nordic (MVA-BN) mpox vaccine.
The pharmaceutical industry will also provide 40,000 vaccine doses to the HERA.
The MVA-BN vaccine is a non-replicating smallpox vaccination and the only one licensed in the European Union.
It has been approved for usage in people aged 18 and up.
The statement reads:
“The Africa CDC will distribute the vaccines according to regional needs. Through the Africa CDC, these vaccines will be distributed to affected countries.”
“Furthermore, HERA is in collaboration with the Africa CDC with the aim to expand access to mpox diagnostics and sequencing in the region, with a €3.5 million grant foreseen for early autumn.”
Stella Kyriakides, EU commissioner for health and food safety, stated that the European Health Union is built on strong worldwide alliances, and that health dangers transcend national borders.
She said:
“Preparedness and response to health threats is a global endeavour which we are determined to pursue collectively and with solidarity across borders.”
The Africa CDC’s director-general, Jean Kaseya, expressed gratitude to the commission and Bavarian Nordic for their prompt responses.
He said:
“The donation of over 215,000 doses from Bavarian Nordic is a crucial step in our fight against this crisis. This partnership not only delivers essential vaccines but also underscores our collective commitment to safeguarding health across Africa.”
“It exemplifies the power of international collaboration in addressing public health emergencies.
“Together, we will strengthen our response efforts and ensure that communities across the continent receive the protection they need.”
The Africa CDC declared a “public health emergency of continental security” on Tuesday.
Since the turn of the year, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reported over 13,700 illnesses and 450 deaths.
The virus has also spread to Burundi, the Central African Republic (CAR), Kenya, and Rwanda.