According to Africa’s health agency, mpox vaccinations begin within days

Africa’s top public health agency says the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and other countries could start vaccinating against monkeypox within days.

The DRC is the epicenter of a more deadly strain of the virus that emerged last year and has subsequently spread to some 12 other African states, with confirmed cases in at least three countries outside the continent.

Last week, the World Health Organization declared the spread of the new strain a public health emergency of international concern.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says vaccine doses will arrive shortly.

This follows pledges by the European Union, vaccine-maker Bavarian Nordic, the United States, and Japan.

The center has been developing logistics and communication strategies with countries experiencing pox outbreaks to facilitate the rollout.

Its Director General, Jean Kaseya, said it was important to ensure everything was properly in place to ensure the vaccines would be safely stored and administered.