By Dorothy Musyoka
In efforts to curb the ongoing Mpox outbreak, Health Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale has announced the arrival of 10,700 doses of the Modified Vaccinia Ankara-Bavarian Nordic (MVA-BN) vaccine.
The vaccines were secured through a collaborative effort between the Government of Kenya and key global health partners, including Africa CDC, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance.
The rollout of the Mpox vaccine marks a significant milestone in Kenya’s national response to halt the spread of the virus.
“The arrival of the vaccine marks a significant milestone in the national response to interrupt the chain of transmission and limit further spread of Mpox in the community.Vaccination is one of the most effective public health interventions, saving millions of lives annually and is used globally to promote public health, prevent and control outbreaks, thereby reducing morbidity and mortality from vaccine preventable diseases,” stated CS Duale.
The newly arrived vaccines will serve as a crucial complement to existing Mpox control strategies such as enhanced surveillance, contact tracing, case management and public awareness campaigns.
“This additional intervention is coming in response to the recent upsurge in Mpox cases in the country, causing a sharp rise of 100 percent in cases, which has doubled the disease burden since December 31, 2024,” the CS said.
The CS also noted that the vaccine has demonstrated safety and efficacy in reducing Mpox transmission risk.
“The MVA-BN has demonstrated safety and efficacy in reducing Mpox disease severity, transmission risk and mortality.The vaccine effectiveness (VE) is estimated to be 82% for 2 doses given four weeks apart,” he noted.
The outbreak, which began on July 31, 2024, has so far resulted in 67 confirmed cases and 3 deaths.
CS Duale stated that the deployment of the vaccine will not target the general population but will prioritize high-risk groups starting with the counties with confirmed cases.
According to the Ministry of Health a total of 13 counties have been affected, including Busia, Mombasa, Nakuru, Makueni, Bungoma, Kiambu, Kisii, Kajiado, Kericho, Kilifi, Uasin Gishu, Migori, and Nairobi.
Of the reported cases, 49 patients have recovered, 10 are currently admitted and 7 are under home-based care.One death has been reported, bringing the case fatality rate to 1.5%.
A total of 327 contacts have been listed from the cases,274 of which have been followed up for 21 days, 13contacts have contracted Mpox and 40 are currently on follow-up.
The Ministry has urged Kenyans to protect themselves from Mpox by adhering to the recommended public health preventive measures.
Additionally, the Ministry has reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding public health and collaborating with global partners to ensure a sustained and effective response.