CNN —
African countries could begin vaccinating people with MPOX within days, according to the continent's top public health agency. World Health Organization officials have said the spread of the more deadly strain of the virus is controllable and “not COVID-19.”
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the epicenter of the MPOX outbreak, which the WHO declared a Global Health Emergency last week, and the more deadly Ib strain that is spreading rapidly there has been detected in at least four other African countries.
“Vaccinations have not yet started. They will begin in the coming days once we are confident that everything is in place. Vaccines should start arriving in the Democratic Republic of Congo and other countries as soon as next weekend,” Jean Kaseya, director of the Africa CDC, said at a briefing on Tuesday.
Formerly known as monkeypox, the viral disease can spread easily from person to person and from infected animals through close contact such as touching, kissing or sex, or through contaminated objects such as sheets, clothing or needles, according to the WHO. Symptoms include fever, a painful rash, headache, muscle and back pain, loss of energy and swollen lymph nodes.
According to the Africa CDC, about 1,400 cases of MPOX infections were reported across Africa in the past week, bringing the total number of cases on the continent so far this year to about 19,000, an increase of more than 100% compared to the same period last year. More than 500 people have died in the recent outbreak, according to the agency's latest data.
That has prompted a scramble for vaccines as African health authorities work with international partners to fill huge shortages.
“We need a vaccine,” Kaseya told NPR last week. “Right now we're talking about 200,000 doses (being) available. We need at least 10 million doses. The vaccine is very expensive, around $100 a dose. There aren't many African countries that can afford the cost of this vaccine.”
The European Commission said last week that the European Union and Danish vaccine maker Bayern Nordic have so far pledged support, while Japan and the United States have also offered to give shots, Reuters reported, citing the Democratic Republic of Congo's health minister.
The WHO's declaration of a global health emergency marks the second time in two years that the U.N. health agency has issued a warning about the spread of MPOX, which has been found for decades mainly in Central and West Africa.
Mpox is characterized by two genetic clades, I and II. Clades are broad groups of viruses that have evolved over decades and have distinct genetic and clinical differences.
Lineage II was responsible for the worldwide outbreak that was declared a global health emergency between July 2022 and May 2023. However, the new outbreak is driven by lineage I, which causes more severe disease. Lineage Ib, the subtype responsible for the majority of the ongoing outbreak, is relatively new.
Last week, the first case of the LB lineage outside Africa was confirmed in Sweden in a patient who had recently traveled to the continent.
But as countries around the world stepped up vigilance against the virus, WHO officials on Tuesday downplayed fears of a new pandemic and called for a coordinated response to the outbreak.
“Chickenpox is not COVID-19,” Hans Kluge, WHO's European director, said at a press conference.
He said more research is needed on lineage Ib strains, but their spread is controllable.
“We know how to control MPOX, and we know the measures necessary to completely eliminate it in the European region,” Kluge said.
“The need for a coordinated response is currently greatest in the African region,” he said. “We can and must work together across regions and continents to tackle MPOX.”
Kluj's comments came shortly after Argentina quarantined a cargo ship after its crew showed symptoms of MPOX, while the Philippines and Thailand have reported cases of MPOX in travelers who had been to Africa.
This story has been updated with additional information.
