The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has received an additional 50,000 doses of the mpox vaccine from the United States, bolstering its efforts to combat the ongoing epidemic.
This brings the total number of vaccines donated to the DRC to 265,000, including 200,000 from the European Union.
The DRC, which is at the epicenter of the latest mpox outbreak, has recorded over 21,500 cases and 700 deaths.
The vaccines, manufactured by Bavarian Nordic, are approved in Europe and the United States for adults.
The company is seeking to extend the approval to children aged 12-17.
The WHO declared an international emergency over mpox in August due to the surge in cases of the new Clade 1b strain in the DRC.
Both Clade 1b and Clade 1a strains are present in the country.
Mpox is transmitted through close physical contact and causes fever, muscle aches, and skin lesions.