Congo's health minister, Samuel Roger Kamba Mulamba, announced that a newly arrived vaccine, already proven effective in the United States, will soon be rolled out to adults in the country. "We know the provinces most affected, particularly Equateur and South Kivu," he said, emphasizing the urgency of containing the virus quickly.

The first shipment includes 99,000 doses, with an additional 101,000 doses set to arrive on Saturday, bringing the total to 200,000, according to Laurent Muschel, head of the EU Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA). Muschel also stated that Europe aims to deliver 566,000 doses across the region, with Burundi expected to receive the next batch pending medical agency approval.

The vaccine's arrival in Congo marks an effort to address the disparity that left African nations without access to the vaccines used during the global mpox outbreak in 2022, while they were widely available in Europe and the U.S. Congo plans to launch its vaccination campaign on October 8, after conducting a public awareness campaign to tackle mistrust in certain communities.

According to the health ministry, Congo reported 19,710 suspected mpox cases in the first eight months of this year, with 5,041 confirmed and 655 deaths. The virus spreads through close contact, including sexual contact.

Signs And Symptoms Of Mpox

People with Mpox often get a rash that may be located on hands, feet, chest, face, or mouth or near the genitals, including the penis, testicles, labia, vagina, and anus. The incubation period is 3–17 days. During this time, a person does not have symptoms and may feel fine.

The rash will go through several stages, including scabs, before healing.

The rash can initially look like pimples or blisters and may be painful or itchy.

Other symptoms of Mpox can include

- Fever

- Chills

- Swollen lymph nodes

- Exhaustion

- Muscle aches and backache

- Headache

- Respiratory symptoms (e.g., sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough).

Types Of Mpox Variants

Clade I - This variant causes more severe illness and death. Some outbreaks have killed up to 10 per cent of the people who get sick, although more recent outbreaks have had lower death rates.

Clade II - This is the type that caused the global outbreak in 2022. Infections from clade II Mpox are less severe.

Researchers have identified a new form of Clade 1 that may be responsible for more than 240 cases and at least three deaths in Kamituga, a region with a significant transient population travelling elsewhere in Africa and beyond.

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