DR Congo receives its first batch of nearly 100,000 doses of mpox vaccine
The Democratic Republic of Congo, currently at the epicentre of an mpox outbreak, on Thursday received its first shipment of nearly 100,000 doses of vaccines against the disease. More than 17,500 cases and 629 deaths have been recorded in the country since the start of the year and the virus is now present in at least 13 African countries. “We are in a health war against mpox,” Congolese Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba said.
The Democratic Republic of Congo, the epicentre of an mpox outbreak, on Thursday received its first vaccines -- almost half of 200,000 doses donated by the European Union and due to arrive by the end of the week to fight its spread.
"The vaccines have arrived in the DRC. They are now on their way to storage areas and the vaccination campaign should begin at the end of the month," Laurent Muschel head of the EU's Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) told AFP.
Congolese Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba and Muschel were present at Kinshasa aitport when the plane carrying 99,100 vaccine doses landed, an AFP journalist said.
The doses left the Danish capital Copenhagen on Wednesday evening.
Read moreMpox vaccines are available – why are they not reaching Africa?
DRC has recorded more than 19,000 cases and over 650 deaths, according to the latest figures from the health minister.
(AFP)
Read more on FRANCE 24 English
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