GERMANY DONATES 100,000 MPOX VACCINE DOSES TO COMBAT OUTBREAK IN AFRICA
Germany will donate a total of 100,000 Mpox vaccine doses from their military reserve to contain the outbreak on the African continent, said a German government official in a statement on Monday.
“The donation is helping give immediate relief and help to the affected countries.”
Besides this, the government has also said it will offer the WHO flexible financial resources through various instruments to fight Mpox, and support its partners in Africa through the GAVI vaccination alliance.
The country currently has around 117,000 doses of Jynneos vaccine which the army has stockpiled after procurement in 2022.
“We will maintain a minimum stockpile of the vaccine to protect traveling authorities. Any decision pertaining to its reordering will be done separately,” remarked the spokesperson from the Defense Ministry.
The World Health Organization declared the Mpox a global public health emergency when the virus was fast-shedding from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighboring countries and concerns about a new variant, clade Ib.
The spokesperson explained that Germany is working hard to fast-track vaccine delivery to the most affected areas, primarily the DRC, along with other countries like Burundi and other East African countries.
The governments’ in the response is also including logistical efforts to ensure that vaccines reach the most affected areas on time.
This is coming at a time when international health bodies and local governments are trying to stem the outbreak of Mpox, which has just underlined the urgent need for resources and support against the virus.
