Approximately 35% of mpox vaccines donated by Japan to combat a dangerous new outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo are being wasted due to stringent preparation requirements that leave doses unusable within hours, the head of the country's mpox response has told Reuters.
Breakdown
- A critical shortage of mpox vaccine in the DRC is being worsened by storage problems.
- About a third of vaccines donated by Japan are being wasted, with a loss rate of 32 to 35 percent. 10s
- The LC-16 vaccine must be used within hours after mixing, leading to discarded doses if turnout is low. 21s
- Over half a million people have been vaccinated despite these challenges. 39s
- Recorded mpox cases have dropped to 53,657 this year from 67,000 last year. 44s