The World Health Organization (WHO) has approved the Bavarian Nordic mpox vaccine for use in adolescents aged 12 to 17, a group considered particularly vulnerable to the disease.
This decision follows the WHO’s endorsement of the vaccine for adults in September, which facilitated access for African countries heavily impacted by mpox.
Danish pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic is also preparing to conduct a clinical trial to assess the vaccine’s safety for children aged 2 to 12.
As parts of Africa face a rise in mpox cases, which present flu-like symptoms and skin lesions, the urgency for vaccination has increased.
In August, the WHO declared mpox a global public health emergency after a new strain of the virus spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighboring countries, including Burundi and Rwanda.
Scientists have identified this new strain, known as clade 1b, as a more dangerous variant.
Nearly 30,000 suspected cases of mpox have been reported across Africa this year, with a few cases also recorded in Europe and Asia.