Emergent BioSolutions has announced a significant donation of 50,000 doses of its ACAM2000 smallpox vaccine to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and other affected countries, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, in response to the ongoing mpox outbreak. The donation, revealed on Monday, aims to curb the rapid spread of the virus, which the World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared a global public health emergency.
The new variant of the virus, known as clade Ib, has been spreading rapidly across Africa, with a confirmed case reported in Sweden, marking the first instance of the variant outside the continent. “The situation demands swift action, and we are committed to supporting these countries in their fight against the outbreak,” an Emergent spokesperson emphasised.
Emergent’s ACAM2000 vaccine, while primarily approved for smallpox, has been used as an mpox vaccine in some cases, though it has not yet received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for this specific use. According to the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ACAM2000 is a live, replicating virus vaccine, which carries certain risks and side effects, including myocarditis and pericarditis, which occur in approximately 1 in 175 recipients. The vaccine is administered through a series of small pricks on the skin with a two-pronged needle, and the resulting scab can potentially spread the live virus to other parts of the body or other individuals until it heals.
Despite its efficacy, ACAM2000 is not recommended for people with compromised immune systems, such as those living with HIV. In contrast, the Danish biotech company Bavarian Nordic’s Jynneos vaccine, which is approved for both smallpox and mpox in the U.S., is considered to have fewer side effects.
The donation is seen as a critical intervention as African nations work to contain the outbreak. Emergent’s contribution underscores the urgency of addressing the health crisis in regions most affected by the new mpox variant.
