Vaccines Donated by the US Arriving Amidst Global Health Criticism
Africa will finally receive its first batch of mpox vaccines this week, weeks after they became available in other regions. The 10,000 doses, donated by the United States, are intended to address a new, dangerous variant of the virus formerly known as monkeypox. This comes after a 2022 outbreak raised global concerns.
Delayed Vaccine Access Highlights Global Health System Issues
Vaccines have been accessible in over 70 countries outside Africa, but the continent has faced significant delays in obtaining these crucial shots. Medical officials and scientists have criticized the slow response, noting that it took the World Health Organization (WHO) until this month to initiate the process for African countries to access large quantities of vaccines through international agencies. This delay is particularly concerning given that mpox has affected people in Africa for decades.
Challenges in Vaccine Distribution and Approval
Mpox, a potentially severe infection causing flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions, spreads through close physical contact. The WHO declared it a global health emergency on August 14 after the new variant, clade Ib, began spreading from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to neighboring countries.
The prolonged wait for WHO approval has led African governments and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to rely on vaccine donations from wealthier nations. This reliance on donations is precarious, as it can falter if donor countries choose to prioritize their own populations.
Helen Rees, a member of the Africa CDC’s mpox emergency committee and executive director of the Wits RHI Research Institute in Johannesburg, criticized the delay, calling it “really outrageous” given the continent’s previous struggles during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Africa CDC estimates that up to 10 million doses may be needed to manage the outbreak effectively.
WHO’s Approval Process and Future Steps
WHO only requested the necessary information from vaccine manufacturers this month to begin the emergency licensing process. Until this process is completed in September, the WHO has urged countries to donate vaccines. According to the New York Times, the WHO has stated that it lacked sufficient data for a comprehensive review and that the emergency licensing process can only proceed after a public health emergency of international concern is declared.