WHO clears Bavarian Nordic’s vaccine as first mpox shot

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The World Health Organisation said on Friday it had cleared Bavarian Nordic’s mpox vaccine, the first such shot to be approved by the agency for containing the spread of the disease in badly hit African countries, Reuters reported.
The approval, known as a pre-qualification, comes as a new type of the virus spreads from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the current outbreak began in early 2023, to several neighbouring countries.
“This first pre-qualification 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 the future,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
The pre-qualification paves the way for developing countries to access the shot as most of these nations do not have the resources to do rigorous checks into the safety and efficacy of vaccines. UN agencies also rely on the process before buying medical products.
The Bavarian Nordic vaccine, known as Jynneos in the United States, was originally approved as a smallpox shot. Some doses have been donated in Congo, where the first round of inoculations is due to begin in early October.
Bavarian Nordic said the vaccine was cleared for immunisation against smallpox, mpox, and related orthopoxvirus infections and disease in adults 18 years of age and older.
The Danish biotech company has said it can supply 13 million doses the vaccine by the end of 2025.