African Countries Soon To Get Mpox Vaccine Donations From Austria

Photo illustration. (ANTARA/Anadolu/PY)

JAKARTA - Along with the struggle of African countries against the Mpox virus outbreak, Austrian Health Minister Johannes Rauch, on Friday, August 23 stated that Vienna would donate Mpox-type smallpox vaccines to the continent.

"Austria is ready to donate the Mpox vaccine to African countries. The latest Mpox outbreak endangers the lives and health of tens of thousands of people there. I support the call of @SKyriakidesEU for coordinated action by European Union countries (EU)," Rauch said in X, reported by da da

"We will immediately clarify the exact number of doses and the details of its organization with the EU Commission," he added.

This Austrian initiative came shortly after EU Health Commissioner, Stella Kyriakides, called for solidarity and cooperation.

"I have written to EU health ministers to inform about plans for vaccine donations and #mpox therapy. Solidarity is key to tackling global health threats. We rely on member states to support African partners in dealing with this outbreak," Kyriakides wrote on X.

Austria has a reserve of 34,000 doses, which can be used for more than 170,000 vaccinations in accordance with the recommendations of the National Vaccination Committee.

The virus infection, which spread through close contact, was declared a public health emergency of international concern by the WHO last week, after a new variant of the virus spread rapidly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its surroundings.