Thailand has confirmed the first suspected case of the new clade 1b variant, prompting a swift action from regional health authorities.
Countries across Asia are ramping up their defenses against mpox following the detection of a potentially more dangerous variant.
The rapid spread of the new mpox strain in Africa led the World Health Organisation to declare a public health emergency last week.
A £3.1 million UK government package to tackle mpox will “ultimately benefit us all”, the Africa minister has said.
The UK is preparing for potential cases of the new strain of mpox after Europe recorded its first case of the more deadly variant last week in Sweden.
Health officials said plans are under way to tackle a possible outbreak in the country ensuring healthcare workers are aware of the symptoms and that rapid tests are available.
But European health authorities have ruled out imposing border controls as the risk of a global virus outbreak is still considered “low”.
In Argentina, a cargo ship was quarantined over the first suspected case of mpox on the vessel, after one of its crew members showed “cyst-like skin lesions”, the health ministry said.
Key Points
- Asia ramps up border controls amid new variant concerns
- Thailand confirms mpox case is clade 1b strain
- UK pledges £3.1m for Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Cargo ship quarantined in Argentina over suspected case
- Airline pilots in countries hit by mpox urged to ‘familiarise’ with virus
Pictured: Infected mpox patients in Burundi
15:47
Salma Ouaguira
Mpox vaccine maker Bavarian sees shares soar
15:00
Salma Ouaguira
Shares of Danish biotech Bavarian Nordic surged following robust earnings and a significant order of its mpox vaccine.
US firm Emergent BioSolutions saw its shares jump nearly 10 per cent yesterday.
The mpox outbreak, primarly affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo has prompted international concern with countries pilling up vaccines for a potential outbreak.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and Africa CDC have both issued public health emergencies as the virus spreads to more than a dozen countries.
The WHO has reported over 17,000 cases and more than 500 deaths this year.
How worried should we be about mpox?
14:30
Salma Ouaguira
The first case of a new infectious strain of mpox has been detected in Europe after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared outbreaks in Africa a global emergency.
Experts said the new strain is “associated with a more severe disease and higher mortality rates” than the one that caused the global mpox outbreak in 2022.
The new strain of mpox is known as clade 1b and it emerged in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) last year, according to WHO.
The disease is now rapidly spreading to neighbouring countries in Africa, mainly through sexual networks, WHO said, with one case confirmed in Europe.
Mpox is passed on through close physical contact, including during sexual contact, kissing, cuddling or holding hands.
Symptoms include a high temperature, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen glands, exhaustion, joint pain and a rash.
Dr Jonas Albarnaz, a research fellow specialising in pox viruses at the Pirbright Institute, said the case of clade 1b in Sweden “is concerning for two main reasons”.
“First, this is the first clade 1 mpox virus case outside Africa. This indicates that the extent of the international spread of clade 1 outbreak in DRC might be larger than we knew yesterday.
“And second, clade 1 mpox virus is associated with a more severe disease and higher mortality rates than the clade 2 virus responsible for the international mpox outbreak in 2022.”
Thailand confirms mpox case is clade 1b strain
14:00
Salma Ouaguira
An mpox case reported in Thailand this week has been confirmed as being the clade 1b strain of the virus, the first in the country, a disease control official said.
“This man is likely infected from an endemic country,” Thongchai Keeratihattayakorn, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, told Reuters, adding no other local infections had been detected through contact tracing.
Thailand on Wednesday said the case was a 66-year-old European man who had arrived from an African country where the disease was spreading.
Clade 1b has triggered global concern due to the ease with which it spreads.
Health officials on alert for UK cases of new mpox strain
13:30
Salma Ouaguira
UK health officials have said they are preparing for any potential cases of a new strain of mpox after the World Health Organisation declared outbreaks of the virus in Africa a global emergency.
The strain, known as clade 1b, emerged in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said there are currently no cases of the virus in the UK.
Its deputy director Dr Meera Chand said: “The risk to the UK population is currently considered low.
“However, planning is under way to prepare for any cases that we might see in the UK.
“This includes ensuring that clinicians are aware and able to recognise cases promptly, that rapid testing is available, and that protocols are developed for the safe clinical care of people who have the infection and the prevention of onward transmission.”
Mpox not new Covid and can be stabbed, expert says
13:00
Salma Ouaguira
A World Health Organisation official stressed on Tuesday that mpox, regardless of whether it is the new or old strain, is not the new COVID, as authorities know how to control its spread.
“We can and must tackle mpox together,” said Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, during a UN media briefing.
“So will we choose to put the systems in place to control and eliminate mpox globally? Or we will enter another cycle of panic and neglect? How we respond now and in the years to come will prove a critical test for Europe and the world,” he added.
The clade 1b variety has caused global concern because it seems to spread more easily through routine close contact.
Kluge said that the focus on the new clade 1 strain will also help in the fight against the less severe clade 2 variety that has spreading globally since 2022, allowing Europe to improve its response through better health advice and surveillance.
About 100 new cases of the clade 2 mpox strain are now being reported in the European region every month, added Kluge.
Mpox transmits through close physical contact, including sexual contact, but unlike previous global pandemics such as COVID-19 there is no evidence it spreads easily through the air.
Health authorities need to be on alert and flexible in case there are new, more transmissible clades or ones that change their transmission route, but there are no recommendations for people to wear masks, said WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic.
Mpox hotspost mapped: Full list of confirmed cases
12:30
Salma Ouaguira
The outbreak, named clade 1, said to be spreading mainly through sexual networks. WHO says it has been identified in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda – all countries that have never reported cases of mpox before.
One case of this new strain has now been detected in Sweden, the country’s public health agency has confirmed. They say the person, who is now in isolation, had contracted it during a stay in an African country where other cases have been reported.
Health officials in Thailand also said on Wednesday that they were seeking to determine the strain of an mpox case in a European man who arrived from Africa the previous week.
Both the Philippines and Pakistan reported that mpox cases they had been testing had been confirmed to be the previous variant already circulating in many countries and not the new clade 1 strain which is of concern to the WHO.
Here is a map of all mpox cases, of every strain, that have been confirmed around the world since the start of 2024:
Charities welcome government’s £3.1million mpox support to Congo but urge more funding for clean water
12:00
Salma Ouaguira
The government’s pledge to provide the Democratic Republic of the Congo with a £3.1million mpox package has been welcomed by charities.
But Wateraid has urged ministers to focus their support on funding clean water to tackle the virus.
Katherine Nightingale, global international affairs director at WaterAid, said: “The UK government is right to support efforts to contain both mpox and cholera outbreaks in Democratic Republic of the Congo – but funding must be directed towards ensuring clean water and sanitation are provided across healthcare facilities, households, and schools, as recommended by the World Health Organisation.
“We cannot vaccine our way out of this growing health emergency. Currently 1 in 10 people do not have access to clean water and half of the world’s healthcare facilities do not have basic hand hygiene services. These conditions are an open invitation for infections to walk right in and disrupt lives.
“If the UK really wants to play its part in killing the menace of Mpox and save lives, the government must urgently prioritise investment into clean water and good hygiene – our vote is for water, water for all.”
Congo reports more than 1,000 new mpox cases in a week
11:30
Salma Ouaguira
Congo reported more than 1,000 new mpox cases in the last week up to Tuesday as African health authorities asked for desperately needed vaccines to help fight its “growing” threat on the continent.
The World Health Organization has declared the outbreaks in Africa a global emergency.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control recommended last week that travelers to mpox-affected areas see if they might be eligible to get vaccinated, in a move that could increase pressure to secure mpox shots.
While mpox has been reported in 12 of Africa’s 54 countries during these outbreaks, the vast central African nation of Congo has recorded by far the most cases this year. Out of a total of 18,910 cases in 2024, 94% — or 17,794 — were in Congo, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, with 535 of the 541 deaths reported.
Read the full story below:
11:00
Salma Ouaguira
African officials call for solidarity not ‘unfair’ travel bans
10:30
Salma Ouaguira
African health officials have called the international community not to impose travel bans on countries dealing with an outbreak of mpox.
Africa CDC’s head Jean Kaseya said: “Don’t punish Africa. We hear from here and there that you want to apply travel ban, we need solidarity, we need you to provide appropriate support, this vaccine is expensive.
“I clearly request our partners to stop thinking about travel bans against Africa, that will bring us back to the unfair treatment from the Covid period and not help the world to move forward.”
Mr Kaseya hoped vaccines can coon arrive in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the outbreak is believed to have originated from.
He added there had been collaboration between countries and health organisations but has warned community-level testing centres are not enough.
How did the UK deal with the last outbreak?
10:00
Salma Ouaguira
Before the spring of 2022, cases in the UK were usually associated with travel to or from West or Central Africa.
However, in May of that year sustained transmission of the virus was identified in the UK, leading to a large outbreak mostly in men who are gay, bisexual or have sex with other men.
A vaccination programme was launched in the UK in the summer of 2022 and closed the following July.
According to the UKHSA, there were 3,732 confirmed and highly probable mpox cases reported in the UK up to December 31, 2022. In 2023 and up to July 31 this year, 286 cases were reported.
Of these, 269 were in England – with 116 patients presumed to have caught the virus in the UK and 82 outside of the country.
UK pledges £3.1m for Congo in bid to contain mpox
09:30
Salma Ouaguira
A £3.1 million UK Government package to tackle mpox will “ultimately benefit us all”, the Africa minister has said.
On a visit to the Institut National de Recherche Biomedicale in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lord Collins of Highbury pledged money to prevent the spread of the disease, which was previously known as monkeypox.
Lord Collins said on his visit to Kinshasa: “Working together with our partners and using the expertise and dedication of Congolese scientists, including those at the world-leading research centre I have visited in DRC, our support will play an important role in ensuring global health security for all.
“By protecting the health and wellbeing of communities across DRC, and by helping contain these outbreaks, we reduce the risk of diseases spreading further afield. This will ultimately benefit us all.”
According to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the cash package will benefit more than 4.4 million people in already-affected communities, as part of a partnership with Unicef.
Pictured: Pakistan prepares hospital wards for mpox outbreak
09:03
Salma Ouaguira
What is mpox? What you need to know about the latest global health emergency
08:30
Salma Ouaguira
The World Health Organisation on Wednesday declared mpox a global health emergency in response to the growing number of cases both in Africa and other continents.
Mpox belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox but causes milder symptoms like fever, chills and body aches. People with more serious cases can develop characteristic lesions on the face, hands, chest and genitals.
Here’s everything you need to know:
Asia ramps up border controls amid new variant concerns
08:03
Salma Ouaguira
Countries across Asia are ramping up their defenses against mpox following the detection of a potentially more dangerous variant.
Thailand has reported its first suspected case of the new clade 1b variant, prompting a swift action from regional health authorities.
Asian nations are intensifying surveillance and preventive efforts. The rapid spread of the new mpox strain in Africa led the World Health Organisation to declare a public health emergency last week.
South Korea has begun monitoring passengers from high-risk African countries, including Ethiopia, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Taiwan has responded by stockpiling vaccines and launching targeted immunisation campaigns for high-risk groups, including healthcare workers.
Pakistan said it is introducing new screening at airports after confirming at least one case of mpox infection.
Watch| Debunked: Anti-Vaxxers claim mpox outbreak is a ‘scandemic’
07:30
Salma Ouaguira
Why has the WHO declared a global emergency?
07:00
Salma Ouaguira
Mpox was first detected in humans in the DRC in 1970 and is considered endemic to countries in Central and West Africa.
However, WHO said the recent surge of cases in DRC and its spread to neighbouring countries constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations (2005) on Wednesday.
According to WHO, mpox has been reported in DRC for more than 10 years, with the number of cases increasing steadily over the period.
So far in 2024, there have been more than 15,600 cases of mpox and 537 deaths, which the WHO said exceeds last year’s total.
There have also been 100 lab-confirmed cases of clade 1b in four countries neighbouring the DRC that have not reported mpox before: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.
Airline pilots in countries hit by mpox urged to ‘familiarise’ with virus
06:00
Salma Ouaguira
Airline pilots operating to countries affected by mpox are being urged to “familiarise themselves with the key facts” on the disease, as compiled by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
A bulletin has been issued by the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (Ifalpa), saying: “The WHO has just determined that the upsurge of Mpox in the Democratic Republic of Congo constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, following the emergence and rapid spread of a new virus strain.
“Several outbreaks of mpox have occurred in different countries, with different modes of transmission and different levels of risk.”
Pilots have been told to read up on transmission, signs and symptoms, treatment, vaccination, self-care and prevention.
Ifalpa says: “The WHO does not recommend any international travel restriction measures at this time.”
Pictured: Indian airports on alert over mpox outbreak
05:00
Salma Ouaguira
How did the UK deal with the last outbreak?
04:00
Salma Ouaguira
Before the spring of 2022, cases in the UK were usually associated with travel to or from West or Central Africa.
However, in May of that year sustained transmission of the virus was identified in the UK, leading to a large outbreak mostly in men who are gay, bisexual or have sex with other men.
A vaccination programme was launched in the UK in the summer of 2022 and closed the following July.
According to the UKHSA, there were 3,732 confirmed and highly probable mpox cases reported in the UK up to December 31, 2022. In 2023 and up to July 31 this year, 286 cases were reported.
Of these, 269 were in England – with 116 patients presumed to have caught the virus in the UK and 82 outside of the country.
Where was the first European Mpox case detected?
02:00
Salma Ouaguira
The first case of a new infectious strain of mpox has been detected in Europe.
Experts said the new strain is “associated with a more severe disease and higher mortality rates” than the one that caused the global mpox outbreak in 2022.
Swedish health officials announced that there has been one confirmed case of clade 1b on Thursday.
The country’s public health agency said a patient sought healthcare in Stockholm and is understood to have been infected during a visit to Africa.
01:00
Salma Ouaguira
Thailand officials monitoring 43 individuals in contact with mpox patient
Thursday 22 August 2024 00:00
Salma Ouaguira
Authorities are monitoring 43 individuals who may have been in contact with the patient.
“We have done a test and they definitely have mpox and it’s definitely not Clade 2,” Mr Thongchai was quoted as saying by AFP.
“We are convinced the person has the Clade 1 variant, but we have to wait to see the final result in the lab for two more days.”
Thailand previously detected 800 cases of the Clade 2 variant but not any of Clade 1 or Clade 1b.
Meanwhile, the European traveller has been quarantined, and lab tests are ongoing to confirm the strain.
World Health Organization stresses that mpox is not ‘the new Covid’
Wednesday 21 August 2024 23:00
Salma Ouaguira
A World Health Organization (WHO) official has stressed that mpox is not the new COVID.
The clarification comes as authorities say they know how to control its spread regardless of whether it is the new or old strain.
“We can and must tackle mpox together,” said Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, in a media briefing.
Thailand detects first suspected case of dangerous mpox strain in European traveller
Wednesday 21 August 2024 22:00
Salma Ouaguira
Thailand has reported a suspected first case of a new, more dangerous strain of mpox in a European traveller.
The patient, a 66-year-old man who arrived from an unnamed African country on 14 August, is believed to be infected by the Clade 1 variant, which is deadlier and more transmissible and triggered a warning from the world health authority last week.
The man had minimal contact with other people after he arrived in Thailand and sought medical attention the following day, authorities said.
“After he arrives from the flight there is very little timeframe where he comes into contact with others,” Thongchai Keeratihattayakorn, head of the Department of Disease Control, told Reuters.
“He arrived around 6pm and on the next day, 15 August, he went to see the doctor at the hospital.”
Map shows rapid spread of Mpox Clade 1 variant
Wednesday 21 August 2024 20:00
Salma Ouaguira
Watch: New deadly mpox strain likely to be in UK already, says diseases expert
Wednesday 21 August 2024 19:00
Salma Ouaguira
EU rules out mpox border controls amid WHO warning
Wednesday 21 August 2024 19:00
Salma Ouaguira
European health authorities have ruled out imposing border controls as the risk of a global mpox outbreak is still considered “low”.
The Health Security Committee (HSC) confirmed that there should not be “a public health emergency in Europe as things stand”.
A spokesperson added: “The HSC members agreed on the importance of a closely coordinated approach and the need to continue monitoring the situation very closely.”
Vaccination recommendations are kept for certain groups at more risk but the commission has ruled out extending the rollout for the general public for now.
It comes as the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared outbreaks in Africa a global emergency.
Argentina suspects first case of mpox as entire cargo ship quarantined
Wednesday 21 August 2024 18:00
Salma Ouaguira
Argentina quarantined a cargo ship over the first suspected case of mpoxon the vessel, as an outbreak of a new fast-spreading variant triggered a global public health alert.
The Liberian-flagged ship raised the alert after one of its crew members of Indian nationality showed “cyst-like skin lesions predominantly on the chest and face”, the health ministry said.
The health authorities in the country have activated a public emergency protocol and quarantined the ship with crew members not allowed to deboard.
Read the full story below:
Congo reports more than 1,000 new mpox cases in a week
Wednesday 21 August 2024 17:00
Salma Ouaguira
Congo reported more than 1,000 new mpox cases in the last week up to Tuesday as African health authorities asked for desperately needed vaccines to help fight its “growing” threat on the continent.
The World Health Organization has declared the outbreaks in Africa a global emergency.
Mpox belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox but causes milder symptoms like fever, chills and body aches, and mostly spreads through close skin-to-skin contact, including sexual intercourse. People with more serious cases can develop lesions on the face, hands, chest and genitals.
While mpox has been reported in 12 of Africa’s 54 countries during these outbreaks, the vast central African nation of Congo has recorded by far the most cases this year. Out of a total of 18,910 cases in 2024, 94% — or 17,794 — were in Congo, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, with 535 of the 541 deaths reported.
Read the full story below:
Airline pilots in countries hit by mpox urged to ‘familiarise’ with virus
Wednesday 21 August 2024 16:30
Simon Calder
Airline pilots operating to countries affected by mpox are being urged to “familiarise themselves with the key facts” on the disease, as compiled by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
A bulletin has been issued by the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (Ifalpa), saying: “The WHO has just determined that the upsurge of Mpox in the Democratic Republic of Congo constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, following the emergence and rapid spread of a new virus strain.
“Several outbreaks of mpox have occurred in different countries, with different modes of transmission and different levels of risk.”
Pilots have been told to read up on transmission, signs and symptoms, treatment, vaccination, self-care and prevention.
Ifalpa says: “The WHO does not recommend any international travel restriction measures at this time.”
Pakistan detects first case of new clade 2 mpox variant
Wednesday 21 August 2024 16:00
Salma Ouaguira
Pakistan has detected one case of clade 2 mpox variant, the country’s ministry of health confirmed.
But the country claimed there have been no cases of the clade 1b strain, which triggered global concern for its rapid spread.
The mpox clade 1b variant is associated with severe clinical symptoms and higher mortality rate compared to the clade 2.
Spokesman for the ministry of national health services Sajid Hussain Shah said: “As of now, there have been no reported cases of clade 1 in Pakistan.”
Congo expects to receive first mpox vaccine by next week
Wednesday 21 August 2024 15:30
Salma Ouaguira
Democratic Republic of the Congo hopes to receive its first mpox vaccines by next week, the Congolese health minister said.
The US and Japan are reportedly set to deploy supplies of mpox vaccines and needles in cooperation with the World Health Organisation and other partners.
Japanese KM Biologics, one of the manufacturers, claimed the country is holding a stockpile to be sent to the affected African areas.
Global vaccine group Gavi also confirmed last week they have prepared up to $500 million (£400 million) to spend on sending the shots.
In a news conference on Monday, health minister Samuel Roger Kamba Mulamba said: “We’ve just finished discussions with USAID and the U.S. government. I hope that by next week we’ll be able to see the vaccines arrive.”
EU rules out mpox border controls amid WHO warning
Wednesday 21 August 2024 15:00
Salma Ouaguira
European health authorities have ruled out imposing border controls as the risk of a global mpox outbreak is still considered “low”.
The Health Security Committee (HSC) confirmed that there should not be “a public health emergency in Europe as things stand”.
A spokesperson added: “The HSC members agreed on the importance of a closely coordinated approach and the need to continue monitoring the situation very closely.”
Vaccination recommendations are kept for certain groups at more risk but the commission has ruled out extending the rollout for the general public for now.
It comes as the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared outbreaks in Africa a global emergency.
Congo, other African countries to start mpox vaccinations in a few days, health official says
Wednesday 21 August 2024 14:30
Salma Ouaguira
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and other African countries will start vaccinating against the viral infection mpox in a few days if everything is in place, the director general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said.
“We didn’t start vaccinations yet. We’ll start in a few days, if we are sure that everything is in place. End of next week vaccines will start to arrive in DRC and other countries,” Jean Kaseya told reporters.
France declares ‘maximum state of vigilance’ over possible mpox outbreak
Wednesday 21 August 2024 14:00
Salma Ouaguira
In the wake of the resurgence of mpox, France has announced that is ready to “test and vaccinate patients”.
The country has been put on “maximum state of vigilance” as the Institute Pasteur examines people who have developed symptoms similar to Mpox.
In a statement, the health institute said: “The medical center of the Institut Pasteur, specialised in travel medicine, has also triggered its internal protocol to test patients with symptoms suggestive of mpox in optimal safety conditions.”
It comes after Swedish health officials announced that there has been one confirmed case of clade 1b on Thursday.
The country’s public health agency said a patient sought healthcare in Stockholm and is understood to have been infected during a visit to Africa.
UK pledges £3.1m for Democratic Republic of the Congo in bid to contain mpox
Wednesday 21 August 2024 13:58
Salma Ouaguira
A £3.1 million UK Government package to tackle mpox will “ultimately benefit us all”, the Africa minister has said.
On a visit to the Institut National de Recherche Biomedicale in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lord Collins of Highbury pledged money to prevent the spread of the disease, which was previously known as monkeypox.
Lord Collins said on his visit to Kinshasa: “Working together with our partners and using the expertise and dedication of Congolese scientists, including those at the world-leading research centre I have visited in DRC, our support will play an important role in ensuring global health security for all.
“By protecting the health and wellbeing of communities across DRC, and by helping contain these outbreaks, we reduce the risk of diseases spreading further afield. This will ultimately benefit us all.”
According to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the cash package will benefit more than 4.4 million people in already-affected communities, as part of a partnership with Unicef.
How far has monkeypox or mpox spread?
Wednesday 21 August 2024 13:30
Salma Ouaguira
More than 17,000 cases have now been confirmed across the continent, with the WHO saying the outbreak is of “international concern”.
The public health emergency was declared by the group’s director general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The outbreak comes as a new strain is identified, named clade 1, said to be spreading mainly through sexual networks. WHO says it has been identified in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda – all countries that have never reported cases of mpox before.
One case of this new strain has now been detected in Sweden, the country’s public health agency has confirmed. They say the person, who is now in isolation, had contracted it during a stay in an African country where other cases have been reported.
Health officials in Thailand also said on Wednesday that they were seeking to determine the strain of an mpox case in a European man who arrived from Africa the previous week.
Both the Philippines and Pakistan reported that mpox cases they had been testing had been confirmed to be the previous variant already circulating in many countries and not the new clade 1 strain which is of concern to the WHO.
Here is a map of all mpox cases, of every strain, that have been confirmed around the world since the start of 2024:
Wednesday 21 August 2024 13:00
Salma Ouaguira
Bavarian Nordic to boost mpox vaccine production to tackle outbreak
Wednesday 21 August 2024 12:40
Salma Ouaguira
Danish biotech firm Bavarian Nordic could ramp up production of its mpox vaccine even before having orders lined up, based on the outcome of talks this week with the World Health Organisation, the company’s CEO told Reuters.
Chief Executive Officer Paul Chaplin said in an interview that the company urgently needs to make the call on whether to manufacture “at risk” - or without signed contracts - because diverting or switching manufacturing capacity from its other vaccines to mpox will take time.
In order to make that decision, Bavarian Nordic “would need to be reasonably convinced that those orders would be coming through”, Chaplin said.
“We’ll have to wait and see how the discussions develop this week and we’ll make a decision later this week what we’re doing.”
He said the discussions were with the WHO, the global vaccine group Gavi, and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and with individual governments in Africa and elsewhere.
It comes as the company said on Saturday it has informed the Africa CDC that it could manufacture 10 million doses of the vaccine by the end of 2025, and could supply up to 2 million doses this year.
But the 2 million doses by year-end would not be possible unless Bavarian Nordic “changes gears” to start producing more of its mpox vaccine now, instead of its other vaccines, Chaplin said: “Every week we don’t switch over, we lose some of that capacity.”
Travellers urged to get mpox vaccine before going to impacted areas of Africa
Wednesday 21 August 2024 12:20
Salma Ouaguira
People travelling to areas affected by the recent mpox outbreak in Africa have been urged to get vaccinated by the EU’s public health body.
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) updated its advice to people going to “epidemic areas” to “consult their healthcare provider or travel health clinic regarding eligibility for vaccination against mpox”.
The ECDC said it is “highly likely” that Europe will have “more imported cases of mpox caused by the clade 1 virus currently circulating in Africa”.
Read the full story below:
Argentina suspects first case of mpox as cargo ship quarantined
Wednesday 21 August 2024 12:00
Salma Ouaguira
Argentina quarantined a cargo ship over the first suspected case of mpox on the vessel, as an outbreak of a new fast-spreading variant triggered a global public health alert.
The Liberian-flagged ship raised the alert after one of its crew members of Indian nationality showed “cyst-like skin lesions predominantly on the chest and face”, the health ministry said.
The health authorities in the country have activated a public emergency protocol and quarantined the ship with crew members not allowed to deboard.
Read more here:
