Thu Sep 19 03:07:00 UTC 2024: ## Gavi Secures 500,000 Doses of Mpox Vaccine for Africa
**Geneva, Switzerland** – Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has announced an advance purchase agreement (APA) with Bavarian Nordic A/S to secure 500,000 doses of the MVA-BN mpox vaccine for African countries. The doses will be delivered in 2024 and funded by Gavi’s First Response Fund, a mechanism created after the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure rapid access to scarce vaccines in future health emergencies.
The APA was signed following the World Health Organization’s (WHO) declaration of mpox as a public health emergency in July. The MVA-BN vaccine, marketed as JYNNEOS or IMVANEX, has been pre-qualified by the WHO and has demonstrated high effectiveness in the global mpox outbreak of 2022.
Dr. Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, highlighted the importance of the agreement, stating, “Using the First Response Fund to fund this first direct transaction for vaccines in support of equitable access and the global response, just over a month since mpox was declared a public health emergency, takes us a long way towards our goal of protecting those most at risk.”
Gavi is working with donors and partners to help facilitate dose donations and is also exploring longer-term measures, including the establishment of a global mpox vaccine stockpile and the development of a sustainable vaccine manufacturing industry in Africa.
Paul Chaplin, President and CEO of Bavarian Nordic, expressed the company’s commitment to supporting Gavi’s efforts in providing life-saving vaccines to vulnerable populations. He emphasized that the agreement will significantly increase the availability of mpox vaccines for African countries.
This initiative demonstrates Gavi’s dedication to addressing global health emergencies and ensuring equitable access to vaccines for those most in need. The agreement is a crucial step in strengthening the global response to the ongoing mpox outbreak and protecting vulnerable populations in Africa.
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