WHO prequalifies first vaccine against mpox

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday that it's prequalifying the MVA-BN vaccine made by Bavarian Nordic A/S as the first vaccine against mpox, Azernews reports.

"This first prequalification of a vaccine against mpox is an important step in our fight against the disease, both in the context of the current outbreaks in Africa, and in future," WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated and added that an "urgent scale up in procurement, donations and rollout" is required for the vaccines to be available where they are needed the most.

According to the WHO's press release, the MVA-BN vaccine can be administered as a two-dose injection, with four weeks between the two doses. WHO stated that the vaccine is currently licensed only for people who are at least 18 years old, but it may be used "off-label" for younger persons in outbreak settings where the benefits of vaccination outweigh the potential risks.