African Vaccine Makers Prepare for Mpox Production Amid Outbreak

BREAKING NEWSSeptember 2, 2024 at 9:23 AM UTC

TLDR

African vaccine manufacturers, including Biovac Institute, gearing up to produce mpox vaccines amid deadly outbreak
Biovac Institute ready for production, awaiting discussions with Bavarian Nordic A/S for approved mpox vaccine
Africa CDC striving to prevent delays in vaccine acquisition, learning from past COVID-19 pandemic challenges

African vaccine manufacturers, including South Africa’s Biovac Institute, are preparing to produce mpox vaccines as a deadly outbreak spreads across the continent.

Biovac CEO Morena Makhoana stated that the institute is ready to begin production and is awaiting discussions with companies like Bavarian Nordic A/S, which currently has an approved mpox vaccine.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention is working to avoid the delays experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, where slow vaccine acquisition cost lives.

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Key Takeaways

Despite mpox being endemic to Africa since the 1970s, the continent did not receive vaccines during the global spread of the virus in 2022. Biovac, equipped with cold storage capabilities from a previous Pfizer Covid-19 tech transfer, is prepared to produce the vaccine at its Cape Town facility. However, the sustainability of vaccine production remains a concern. African nations have struggled to build vaccine stockpiles due to a lack of local production and uncertainties in continuous demand. Vaccine makers like Biovac are hesitant to scale production without guaranteed markets.

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mpox

WHO

Health

Pandemic

Biovac Institute

Bavarian Nordic A/S

Mpox Vaccine