The Ministry of Health has received 10,700 doses of the Modified Vaccinia Ankara-Bavarian Nordic (MVA-BN) Mpox vaccines to combat the ongoing Mpox outbreak in the country.
In a statement on Thursday, April 10, Health CS Aden Duale said the vaccines were received following efforts by the government with support from the Africa CDC, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance.
“The arrival of the vaccines marks a significant milestone in the national response to interrupt the chain of transmission and limit further spread of Mpox in the community.
“Vaccination is one of the most effective public health interventions, saving millions of lives annually, and is used globally to promote public health, prevent and control outbreaks, thereby reducing morbidity and mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases,” read the statement in part.
Duale said the vaccines will be used as an additional public health measure to control the outbreak of Mpox in the country.
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According to Duale, the vaccines will not target the general public but will prioritize high-risk groups, starting with counties that have reported confirmed cases.
The Health CS also noted that since the first case of Mpox was reported on July 31, 2024, 67 cases have been confirmed from across 13 counties.
The affected Counties include: Busia (22), Mombasa (12), Nakuru (10), Makueni (6), Bungoma (3), Nairobi (3), Kajiado (2), Taita Taveta (2), Kericho (2), Kilifi (2), Kiambu (1), Uasin Gishu (1) and Migori (1).
“Of the reported cases, forty-nine (49) patients have recovered, ten (10) are currently admitted, and seven (7) are under home-based care. One (1) death has been reported, bringing the case fatality rate to 1.5%,” Duale stated.
He also mentioned that a total of 327 contacts have been listed from the confirmed cases, 274 of which have been followed up for 21 days, 13 contacts have contracted Mpox and 40 are currently on follow-up.
