The Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, urgently needs more mpox vaccines to protect its high-risk population, according to the head of the national mpox response, Cris Kacita. Vaccinations began a week ago at Ndolo prison in Kinshasa, but Kacita says that the city’s current stock of 50,000 doses falls well short of the 110,000 needed for the 17-million-strong population.
Prison inmates, deemed most vulnerable due to reported cases within prison walls, are being prioritised in the initial vaccination phase, with plans to later expand to other high-risk groups, including sex workers.
Kacita noted that the DRC awaits further vaccine donations from France and other nations.
On Tuesday, the DRC’s health ministry announced via social media platform X that Kinshasa’s vaccination campaign is underway, with 123 active mpox cases currently recorded in the city. The national campaign began in early October in the eastern regions of the country, where the outbreak is most severe.
The DRC has reported over 42,000 cases and more than 1,000 fatalities since the start of the year. While the outbreak’s spread has slowed slightly in recent weeks, cases continue to rise, according to the African Union’s health agency.
The country has so far received 265,000 vaccine doses from international donors, including the United States and European Union. However, it is still awaiting millions more pledged by several countries, including France and the U.S. The existing vaccine supply, produced by Danish pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic, is only authorised for adult use, although the DRC is exploring additional supplies from Japan, where vaccines for both adults and children are available.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral illness that causes fever, muscle aches, and boil-like skin lesions. Though commonly spread through infected animals, mpox can also be transmitted between people through close contact.
