WHO grants first mpox vaccine approval to enhance response in Africa

The World Health Organisation on Friday said it has granted its first authorisation for use of a vaccine against mpox in adults, calling it an important step toward fighting the disease in Africa and beyond.

The pre-qualification of the vaccine by Bavarian Nordic A/S means that donors like GAVI the Vaccine Alliance and UNICEF can buy it. But supplies are limited because there's only a single manufacturer.

This first pre-qualification of a vaccine against mpox is an important step in our fight against the disease, both in the context of the current outbreaks in Africa, and in future, said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The UN health agency chief called for urgent scale-up of procurement, donations and rollout to get the vaccine where it is needed most, along with other response measures.

Under the WHO authorisation, the vaccine can be administered in people aged 18 or above in a two-dose regimen. The approval says that while the vaccine is not currently licensed fo