Rich nations have millions of mpox shots as Africa's outbreak spreads;
Will they share?
Send a link to a friend
[September 12, 2024]
By Jennifer Rigby, Julie Steenhuysen
(Reuters) -Rich countries have several hundred million doses of vaccines
that could help fight an mpox outbreak in Africa, where donated shots
fall far short of what is needed, according to a Reuters tally of public
statements, documents and estimates from non-governmental organizations.
The shots have been stockpiled for years by countries such as Japan, the
United States and Canada in case smallpox, an eradicated disease that is
the more dangerous cousin of mpox, ever makes a comeback. Some of the
vaccines were used outside of Africa in 2022 when mpox spread globally.
A small fraction of those doses could help curb what is now the biggest
mpox outbreak on record in the Democratic Republic of Congo and
neighboring countries, disease experts say.
Fewer than 4 million doses have been pledged for donation out of an
estimated 18 million to 22 million that are needed to vaccinate 10
million people in the next six months, depending on the vaccine,
Africa's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement.
"It's not a technical question, it's a political one," Maria Van
Kerkhove, acting head of pandemic and epidemic prevention at the World
Health Organization, told Reuters. She is lobbying for more donations
alongside Africa's CDC and other health authorities.
"Vaccines are useless on shelves," Van Kerkhove said. "Why wouldn't we
get them to the people who need them right now?"
The current outbreak began in early 2023 in Congo, which accounts for
most of the 37,500 infections and 1,451 deaths. It has spread to 14
African countries, according to Africa's CDC. A first inoculation
campaign using 265,000 donated shots is due to begin in Congo in early
October.
"If we'd had more doses earlier, we could have planned a large-scale
campaign and reduced transmission," said Cris Kacita, head of Congo's
mpox response.
Health officials are concerned about a new strain, known as clade Ib,
which was first identified in Congo and appears to spread more easily by
close contact. Children are particularly vulnerable to mpox, as well as
people with immune system conditions like HIV. The risk outside of
Africa appears low at this time.
"Children are the main victims of this epidemic. The first emergency is
not really being treated," Kacita said.
Other factors have held back the mpox response, including slow
regulatory procedures at WHO and in Congo, high vaccine prices and
competing health crises exacerbated by conflict in the country.
Mpox shots alone are not a magic bullet and affected countries also need
access to testing and awareness-raising to tackle outbreaks effectively,
disease experts say.
But the stark divide on vaccine access shows governments are still not
prepared to stamp out viral threats where they begin and before they
spread.
"The disinterest in mpox and other viral threats where they emerge is a
significant danger to people the world over," said Peter Maybarduk,
access to medicines director at the U.S. consumer group Public Citizen.
WHERE ARE THE DOSES? Three vaccines recommended by the WHO are held in
stockpiles worldwide: Bavarian Nordic's Jynneos (Imvanex or Imvamune
outside the United States); KM Biologics' LC16; and Emergent
BioSolutions' ACAM2000.
[to top of second column]
|
A Congolese nurse takes a sample from a suspected mpox patient in
the treatment centre at the Kavumu hospital in Kabare territory,
South Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, August 29,
2024. REUTERS/Arlette Bashizi/File Photo
They are all being considered for
purchase and donation in Africa, said a spokesperson for Gavi, the
Vaccine Alliance, a global group that helps lower-income countries
buy vaccines. The group has up to $500 million available for the
mpox response. Many wealthy countries declined to say how much
vaccine they have, citing national security reasons.
Japan has around 200 million doses of LC16, according to a WHO
document from 2022. Unlike rival shots, LC16 can be used for
children, although it is not available outside of Japan and requires
special needles to administer.
Kacita said Congo is in discussions for up to 3.5 million LC16 doses
from Japan.
KM Biologics declined to comment. A Japanese health official said
Congo had asked for 3.05 million doses, but would not confirm the
timing of the delivery. He said the WHO's 200 million figure was not
correct but would not confirm the size of the national stockpile.
Canada may have up to 2 million doses from Bavarian Nordic in its
stockpile, said Adam Houston, medical policy and advocacy adviser
for Medecins Sans Frontieres Canada, based on previous years’
announcements from the company. This shot was used to curb the 2022
mpox outbreak outside of Africa. This week, the Canadian government
said it would donate up to 200,000 doses.
U.S. officials declined to disclose how much vaccine is in its
stockpile, but two senior Biden administration officials said it is
enough to protect its population.
That includes around 100 million doses of Emergent's vaccine,
according to Maybarduk, as well as an unspecified number of Jynneos
shots, which experts say have fewer side effects. The U.S. has
donated 60,000 Jynneos doses to the current outbreak.
Spain is among the largest confirmed donors, pledging in August 20%
of its mpox vaccine stockpile, or 500,000 doses. The country has
urged all European Union member states do the same.
The European Commission has a joint procurement contract with
Bavarian Nordic to buy vaccines for donations, and has sent 215,000
doses to Congo.
"Some of the vaccines could cost around $150 for a person to be
fully vaccinated, a price that is unaffordable to most African
countries," a spokesperson for the Africa CDC team in DRC said. "So
donated vaccines from countries is all the more important."
(Reporting by Jennifer Rigby in London and Julie Steenhuysen in
Chicago; Additional reporting by Sonia Rolley, Anna Mehler Paperny
in Toronto, Rocky Swift in Tokyo, Christian Kraemer in Berlin, Inti
Landauro in Madrid, Maggie Fick in London, Gleb Bryanski, Niklas
Pollard in Stockholm, Louise Rasmussen in Copenhagen, Lefteris
Papadimas in Athens, Jihoon Lee in Seoul; Editing by Michele
Gershberg and Bill Berkrot)
[© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |