WHO approves 1st mpox vaccine

The World Health Organization (WHO) has approved the first vaccine against the Mpox virus (formerly known as monkeypox). The vaccine, named MVA-BN, was developed by the Danish biotech company Bavarian Nordic A/S and has been included in the preliminary approval list by the WHO, Azernews reports citing foreign media.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that this is an important step in the fight against current epidemics in Africa, as well as for future prevention. He emphasized that the vaccine can be administered to people over 18 years old in two doses, with an interval of four weeks.

The first symptoms can appear within 21 days after infection with the virus. The virus causes high fever, headache, back and muscle pain, swollen lymph nodes, fatigue, chills, and chickenpox-like blisters on the skin.

The WHO renamed "monkeypox" to "mpox" in 2022 due to concerns about racism and discrimination. The "mpox" virus was declared by the WHO on August 14 as a "public health emergency of international concern."