Vaccination campaign against monkeypox to be launched in several African countries

The World Health Organization (WHO) is procuring thousands of monkeypox tests for Africa and working to ensure Africa has equitable access to vaccines when needed, the WHO director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti.

Dr Moeti said eight countries in Africa including Nigeria, Cameroon and Democratic Republic of Congo where it is endemic, confirmed monkeypox cases.

She urged health officials to be ready for the vaccination campaign.

“Although we’re certainly not recommending mass vaccination at this stage, we must ensure that we are ready should the need arise,” Moeti said at a weekly briefing.

The continent has recorded 1,597 suspected cases of the virus including 66 deaths since the start of 2022, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The disease usually manifests with fever, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, and rashes on the hands and face, like chicken pox.