Wed Nov 20 14:30:00 UTC 2024: ## WHO Approves Second Mpox Vaccine, Japan to Donate Millions of Doses to Congo

**Geneva, Switzerland –** The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Tuesday the approval of a second mpox vaccine for emergency use. The vaccine, LC16, produced by Japan’s KM Biologics (a subsidiary of Meiji Holdings Co), joins Bavarian Nordic’s vaccine as a WHO-approved option in the fight against the ongoing mpox outbreak.

The approval comes after the WHO declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time this year due to the spread of a new variant, Clade Ib, originating in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Japanese government will donate 3.05 million doses of the LC16 vaccine, along with specialized needles, to Congo to combat the outbreak.

The WHO cited the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness, including its use in individuals with well-controlled HIV, based on its previous deployment during mpox outbreaks in Japan. Over 50,500 confirmed and suspected mpox cases have been reported in Africa this year, resulting in over 1,100 deaths. The addition of LC16 to the list of approved vaccines is expected to bolster global efforts to control the ongoing mpox epidemic.

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