Several countries in Africa and the former Soviet Union have shown interest in purchasing Russia’s vaccine for smallpox and mpox, along with related testing systems and antiviral treatments, according to Russia’s consumer and health watchdog.
Developed by Vektor laboratory in Siberia, the vaccine, named Orthopoxvac, was registered by Russia’s health ministry in 2022 after clinical trials. The trials, as stated by Vektor, demonstrated the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness, though trial results have not been published publicly.
The watchdog confirmed that nations within the Eurasian Economic Union, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and African countries heavily impacted by the mpox outbreak have expressed a desire to acquire the vaccine. However, it did not disclose specific countries.
Mpox, a viral illness transmitted through close contact, can cause flu-like symptoms and painful lesions. While most cases are mild, the disease can also be fatal. Following an mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and neighboring regions, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global public health emergency in August.
Although the governments of the DRC and Rwanda did not comment on the Russian vaccine, officials in Burundi, Uganda, and Nigeria denied any knowledge of efforts to acquire it. In Uzbekistan, where no mpox cases have been reported, a public health official stated that the country had no need for the vaccine.
Russia has reported two mpox cases to date, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Meanwhile, countries like the United States and France have pledged to donate doses of mpox vaccines produced by Bavarian Nordic and KM Biologics.
Though Vektor has worked on the vaccine since at least 2015, it has not yet published its clinical trial data, and the vaccine has not been approved by regulatory bodies outside of Russia.