The batch of vaccines, manufactured by Bavarian Nordic and donated by the European Union, arrived in the capital, Kinshasa. The plane carrying the first 99,000 doses landed around 13:00 local time (12:00 GMT). Congo's health minister, Samuel Roger Kamba Mulamba, stated that the vaccines had been proven effective in the United States and would soon be administered to adults in the country. Mulamba emphasized that the priority would be provinces heavily affected by the virus, such as Equateur and South Kivu, with the goal of containing the outbreak as quickly as possible.

The batch of vaccines, manufactured by Bavarian Nordic and donated by the European Union, arrived in the capital, Kinshasa. The plane carrying the first 99,000 doses landed around 13:00 local time (12:00 GMT). Congo's health minister, Samuel Roger Kamba Mulamba, stated that the vaccines had been proven effective in the United States and would soon be administered to adults in the country. Mulamba emphasized that the priority would be provinces heavily affected by the virus, such as Equateur and South Kivu, with the goal of containing the outbreak as quickly as possible.

A second delivery of mpox vaccines is expected to arrive on Saturday, bringing the total number of doses to 200,000. Laurent Muschel, head of the EU Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), confirmed that Europe plans to provide a total of 566,000 doses to the region, prioritizing areas with the highest number of cases. Muschel indicated that Burundi could be the next country to receive vaccines, but emphasized that approval from the country’s medical agency is required before the delivery can proceed.

A second delivery of mpox vaccines is expected to arrive on Saturday, bringing the total number of doses to 200,000. Laurent Muschel, head of the EU Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), confirmed that Europe plans to provide a total of 566,000 doses to the region, prioritizing areas with the highest number of cases. Muschel indicated that Burundi could be the next country to receive vaccines, but emphasized that approval from the country’s medical agency is required before the delivery can proceed.

With the arrival of the vaccines, health authorities in the DRC are gearing up for a rapid vaccination campaign in the most affected regions, hoping to stem the tide of the outbreak. The next steps will be focused on logistics and ensuring that the vaccines are efficiently distributed to those who need them most.