Mpox Vaccine Donations Help Curtail Outbreaks in Africa

Mpox cases in Africa surged in 2025, driven by circulating Clade Ib and Clade I viruses, with more than 42,000 confirmed cases by late November, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

On December 5, 2025, the WHO reported community transmission of the mpox virus persists in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, the Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Africa, the United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.

To help reduce these outbreaks, mpox vaccine donations have continued in late 2025.

UNICEF Supply recently posted on X that 20,000 MVA-BN (JYNNEOS) mpox vaccine doses arrived in the African country of Liberia, part of a 32,000-dose donation from Bavarian Nordic.

As of December 15, 2025, this shipment marks the first phase of a total donation of 32,000 doses to UNICEF, supporting Bavarian Nordic's commitment to protecting communities and ensuring vaccines reach those at risk.

Bavarian Nordic wrote, 'We are grateful to be part of this collective effort and thank everyone working to bring protection to communities affected by mpox. We will share further updates as the remaining doses reach their destinations.'

Previously, the Africa CDC received a donation of 110,000 doses of mpox vaccines to support the ongoing response to the mpox outbreak across the continent. During October 2025, the vaccines were allocated to Uganda, one of the countries most affected.

Paul Chaplin, President and CEO of Bavarian Nordic, commented in a press release, "Mpox remains a health emergency in Africa as evidenced by the continued spread across the continent and increase in the number of cases."

In the United States, the number of mpox cases has been reduced in most states. A factor in this positive trend is that the JYNNEOS vaccine is offered at health and travel clinics as of December 20, 2025.

The U.S. CDC says at-risk travelers should get their first monkeypox vaccine at least six weeks before traveling to outbreak areas in Africa if possible.