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UNICEF has reached an agreement with Danish biotechnology firm Bavarian Nordic to supply Africa with one million doses of its Modified Vaccinia Ankara-Bavarian Nordic (MVA-BN) mpox vaccine.

According to the company, African countries bearing the highest burden of the outbreak will be prioritized in this consignment. (1)

This spells good news for the continent as this latest agreement helps escalate the fight against a disease that, on August 13, 2024, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (2).

As of August 2024, there were reportedly more than 18000 suspected cases of mpox, with over 600 fatalities associated with the disease.

These figures representing a 160% and 19% rise, respectively, in comparison to the same time period in 2023. (3)

As far as the deal goes, Bavarian Nordic has committed to avail the supply of 1 million doses of the vaccine before the end of 2024.

And the consignment is inclusive of 500,000 jabs secured through an advance purchase agreement made with Gavi, the vaccine alliance, early in September. (4)

In the agreement, UNICEF will procure the vaccines at an estimated US$65 per dose, representing the lowest price in the market.

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RELATED: WHO invites Mpox vaccine manufacturers to apply for emergency use listing

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There has been a concerted effort to ensure Africa gets access to the mpox vaccine, with the region receiving donations or commitments from various quarters.

For example, the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) promised to make a donation of 175 420 doses of the MVA-BN® vaccine, with Bavarian Nordic committing to supplement this donation with an extra 40,000. (5)

In addition, earlier this month, the United States, through USAID, completed a delivery of 50,000 doses to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and 10,000 to Nigeria.

Bavarian Nordic’s president, Paul Chaplin, confirmed a total of 2.5 million doses have now been secured for the continent through various procurement and donation initiatives.

He applauded the governments, institutions, and partners for their key involvement in combating the mpox outbreak in Africa.

The MVA-BN is licensed as Imvanex, Jynneos, and Imvamune in Europe, the U.S., and Canada, respectively.

In September 2024, it became the first vaccine against mpox to be added to the WHO's prequalification list. (6)

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References

1.         Bavarian Nordic [Internet]. [cited 2024 Sep 29]. Available from: https://www.bavarian-nordic.com/media/media/news.aspx?news=7006

2.         Africa CDC Declares Mpox A Public Health Emergency of Continental Security, Mobilizing Resources Across the Continent – Africa CDC [Internet]. [cited 2024 Sep 29]. Available from: https://africacdc.org/news-item/africa-cdc-declares-mpox-a-public-health-emergency-of-continental-security-mobilizing-resources-across-the-continent/

3.         Kuppalli K, Dunning J, Damon I, Mukadi-Bamuleka D, Mbala P, Ogoina D. The worsening mpox outbreak in Africa: a call to action. Lancet Infect Dis [Internet]. 2024 Sep 10 [cited 2024 Sep 29];0(0). Available from: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(24)00577-2/fulltext

4.         Bavarian Nordic [Internet]. [cited 2024 Sep 30]. Available from: https://www.bavarian-nordic.com/media/media/news.aspx?news=6999

5.         European Commission coordinates procurement and donation of 215 000 vaccine doses from Bavarian Nordic to support Africa CDC in addressing the Mpox outbreak in Africa [Internet]. Africa CDC. [cited 2024 Sep 30]. Available from: https://africacdc.org/news-item/european-commission-coordinates-procurement-and-donation-of-215-000-vaccine-doses-from-bavarian-nordic-to-support-africa-cdc-in-addressing-the-mpox-outbreak-in-africa/

6.         WHO prequalifies the first vaccine against mpox [Internet]. [cited 2024 Sep 30]. Available from: https://www.who.int/news/item/13-09-2024-who-prequalifies-the-first-vaccine-against-mpox

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