First mpox vaccines due in DR Congo on Thursday
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00:00It's a much-anticipated vaccine, which is finally on its way to the Democratic Republic
00:05of Congo. The WHO announced the imminent deployment of the first batch of Mpox doses.
00:11DRC's Ministry of Health plans to begin deploying the vaccines this weekend. WHO is working
00:20with our partners to coordinate vaccine demands, share information on those doses available
00:27and ensure those doses are directed to areas where they can contribute to controlling the
00:33outbreak.
00:35The Mpox vaccine was donated by the European Union to the Democratic Republic of Congo,
00:40with over 19,000 cases and more than 650 deaths reported since the beginning of the year.
00:47It is the hardest-hit country on the African continent, where in total 16 countries have
00:52reported an Mpox outbreak.
00:55Previously known as monkeypox, this infectious disease was discovered in 1958. It is transmitted
01:01to humans by infected animals, but can be passed from human to human through close physical
01:06contact. The disease causes symptoms like a fever, muscle pains and painful skin lesions.
01:12The fatality rate ranges from 1 to 11 percent.
01:15The WHO, which had declared an emergency over the spread of an Mpox strain two years ago,
01:20had lifted the alert in 2023.
01:24But the resurgence of the virus, fuelled by the new, more contagious and deadlier strain,
01:28clad 1B, prompted the WHO to activate its highest level of alert last month.
01:34Other countries like Spain have pledged to send as many as 500,000 doses and France and
01:40Germany 100,000 each.