In a groundbreaking move, the Democratic Republic of the Congo just kicked off its first-ever mpox vaccination campaign! 🎉💉 On Saturday, health officials launched the initiative in the eastern city of Goma, with health workers leading the way as the first recipients.
This campaign is a huge leap forward in the fight against the mpox outbreak that has been spreading not just in the Congo but also to other African nations this year.
But here's the catch: resources are tight. The Health Ministry mentioned that only 265,000 vaccine doses are currently available. More doses are expected to arrive soon, but for now, the campaign's scope is limited.
It's about time! The rollout addresses a major imbalance, as African countries were left without access to the two shots widely available in Europe and the U.S. during the 2022 global mpox outbreak. 😔
\"The rollout of the vaccine marks an important step in limiting the spread of the virus and ensuring the safety of families and communities,\" said Matshidiso Moeti, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa.
Quick recap: Mpox can spread through close contact and usually causes flu-like symptoms and skin lesions. While it's typically mild, it can be fatal in rare cases.
Back in August, the WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern after a new variant was identified.
Since the start of 2024, Congo has reported over 30,000 suspected and confirmed cases and 990 deaths 😱—that's 90% of the cases reported from Africa this year, according to the WHO.
This vaccination campaign is a beacon of hope for the region. Here's to fighting mpox together! 💪🌍
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
