Bloomberg Children account for over 80% of fatal mpox cases in Congo, Bavarian Nordic shot is missing from pediatric vaccine plan. Children account for over 80% of mpox deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, yet the first shots to arrive in the country won’t be given to the youngest and most vulnerable patients.
A new vaccine from Danish drugmaker Bavarian Nordic A/S is set to arrive in Congo next week, but is notably absent from the government’s pediatric vaccination plan, according to public health and aid agencies. Critics say the shot should be included.
Instead, the Congo is currently planning to vaccinate kids with Japan’s LC16 vaccine, made by KM Biologics, which was used to immunize more than 50,000 children against smallpox in the 1970s, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday. However, these vaccines aren’t in the country yet and the arrival timeline is also uncertain as negotiations with Japan to secure doses are still under way, according to the Africa CDC.
This means Congolese children, who are bearing the brunt of the latest mpox outbreak with almost 9,000 infected since the start of the year, more than 460 fatally, are still awaiting inoculation. If the roll out of the LC16 happens it will likely require a steeper learning curve for parents and doctors too. Unlike the newer Danish vaccine, LC16 relies on a bifurcated needle, a 60-year-old device that pricks the skin multiple times, leaving a scar, said Sharmila Shetty, a medical adviser with Medecins Sans Frontieres.