Monkeypox virus vaccine: Amid the worldwide outbreak of monkeypox, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the approval of the first-ever Bavarian Nordic vaccine against monkeypox virus (MPXV). The modified Vaccinia Ankara-Bavarian Nordic or MVA-BN is indicated for vaccination against smallpox, monkeypox and related orthopoxvirus infection and disease in all adults 18 years of age and older.
The vaccine is 76 percent effective
This vaccine can be given as a 2-dose injection at an interval of 4 weeks. WHO said in a statement, “Available data suggest that a single dose MVA-BN vaccine given before exposure is estimated to be 76 percent effective in protecting people from ampox, while a 2-dose regimen is estimated to be 82 percent effective.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “The approval of the vaccine against ampox is a crucial step in our fight against the disease, both in terms of the current outbreak in Africa and future ones.” Ghebreyesus stressed the need to scale up procurement, donations and distribution to ensure equitable access to vaccines. In addition, he said other public health tools are also urgently needed to prevent infection, stop transmission and save lives.
State of emergency declared in Africa
The WHO approval comes after the UN health body declared a global health emergency over the outbreak in Africa last month. The WHO’s assessment for approving the vaccine is based on information provided by Bavarian Nordic. The regulatory agency of record for this vaccine and the European Medicines Agency have reviewed it.
MVA-BN is currently not for individuals under 18 years of age, but WHO has recommended its off-label use in infants, children, adolescents and pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems. The MVA-BN vaccine has been approved in the US, Switzerland, Singapore, Canada and the EU/EAA and the UK. Meanwhile, more than 1,300,000 cases of ampox have been confirmed in more than 120 countries since 2022. In 2024 alone, there have been 25,237 suspected and confirmed cases and 723 deaths in 14 countries in the African region.
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