PARIS: France has committed to donating 100,000 doses of the mpox vaccine to countries facing an emergency, with the aid being coordinated through the European Union, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced on Tuesday. This donation is part of a broader international response as France also prepares domestic vaccination centers.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the recent surge in mpox cases in Africa as an international health emergency. In response to this crisis, the United States has pledged 50,000 doses of the mpox vaccine to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The UN health agency has called for a significant increase in vaccine production and stressed the importance of prioritizing vaccination campaigns in affected regions.
Last week, the African Union’s health agency outlined plans to distribute approximately 200,000 vaccines across Africa, with logistical support from the EU and Danish pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic, which developed the approved vaccine in 2019. In France, Attal revealed that 232 vaccination sites are being prepared as a precautionary measure, stating, “We aim to be ready for all scenarios and risks.” This preparation comes despite no reported cases of mpox within France at present.
However, Sweden’s Public Health Agency recently announced a case of the more dangerous Clade 1b variant of mpox, which was contracted by a traveler visiting an affected African country. The virus has had a severe impact on the Democratic Republic of Congo, with over 570 deaths reported this year. Additionally, outbreaks have been observed in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda since July.
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