WHO Approves First Vaccine Against Mpox, To Be Used In Few Countries

New Delhi: The World Health Organisation (WHO) approved the first vaccine for Mpox for use in a few countries facing severe spread of the pandemic. On Friday, the WHO announced the MVA-BN vaccine as the first vaccine against Mpox to be added to its prequalification list, which is expected to improve access to the vaccine, particularly among communities urgently needing it.

Based on information submitted by the manufacturer, Bavarian Nordic A/S, and review by the European Medicines Agency, the prequalification process is intended to facilitate the rapid procurement and distribution of the vaccine.

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the importance of the crucial step in curbing current Mpox outbreaks, particularly in Africa, saying, “This first prequalification of a vaccine against Mpox is an important step in our fight against the disease, both in the context of the current outbreaks in Africa, and in future.”

Ghebreyesus called for an urgent scale-up of vaccine procurement, donations and distributions to ensure equitable access. "Alongside other public health tools, this vaccine will help prevent infections, stop transmission, and save lives," he stated.

The MVA-BN vaccine, administered as a two-dose injection given four weeks apart, is approved for people over 18 years old. After being stored in cold conditions, it can remain stable at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius for up to eight weeks.

Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO's Assistant Director-General for Access to Medicines and Health Products, stated, "The WHO prequalification of the MVA-BN vaccine will help accelerate ongoing procurement of the Mpox vaccines by governments and international agencies such as Gavi and Unicef to help communities on the frontlines of the ongoing emergency in Africa and beyond."

“The decision can also help national regulatory authorities to fast-track approvals, ultimately increasing access to quality-assured Mpox vaccine products," he added.

Available data shows that a single-dose MVA-BN vaccine given before exposure has an estimated 76 per cent effectiveness in protecting people against Mpox , with the two-dose schedule achieving an estimated 82 per cent effectiveness, WHO said.