WHO Urges Surge in Mpox Vaccine Production

AFP/APP
Geneva: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday called on manufacturers to significantly increase the production of mpox vaccines to combat the spread of a more dangerous strain of the virus.
On Wednesday, the WHO declared the surge in mpox cases a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)—its highest alert level—due to the rapid rise of Clade 1b cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo and their spread beyond its borders.
“We need manufacturers to scale up production significantly to ensure access to many more vaccines,” WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris told reporters.
The WHO is also requesting countries with existing mpox vaccine stockpiles to donate doses to nations currently experiencing outbreaks.
Two mpox vaccines have been used in recent years: MVA-BN, produced by Danish drugmaker Bavarian Nordic, and Japan’s LC16.
Harris noted that there are currently 500,000 doses of MVA-BN in stock, with the capacity to produce an additional 2.4 million doses quickly if there is a commitment from buyers. By 2025, another 10 million doses could be produced with firm procurement requests.
“LC16 is not a commercially available vaccine but is produced on behalf of the Japanese government. There is a considerable stockpile of this vaccine,” Harris added, noting that the WHO is working with Tokyo to facilitate donations.