�鶹Ů��

Mpox vaccines have been administered in Africa for the first time, with several hundred high-risk individuals vaccinated in Rwanda, the African Union's disease control center said Thursday. The first 300 doses were administered on Tuesday near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, a spokesperson for the AU's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) told AFP. On a call with reporters, Africa CDC director general Jean Kaseya said vaccinations would start in the DRC in "the first week of October." (9/19)

The mpox outbreak in Africa is still not under control, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) warned on Thursday, adding that cases were still increasing in several countries. The number of mpox cases in Africa has surged 177%, and deaths have increased 38.5% compared with the same period a year ago, data from the Africa CDC showed. (9/19)

Slumped on the ground over a mound of dirt, Divine Wisoba pulled weeds from her daughter’s grave. The 1-month-old died from mpox in eastern Congo in August, but Wisoba, 21, was too traumatized to attend the funeral. In her first visit to the cemetery, she wept into her shirt for the child she lost and worried about the rest of her family. “When she was born, it was as if God had answered our prayers — we wanted a girl,” Wisoba said of little Maombi Katengey. “But our biggest joy was transformed into devastation.” Her daughter is one of more than 6,000 people officials suspect have contracted the disease in South Kivu province, the epicenter of the world’s latest mpox outbreak. (Mednick, 9/19)

Jynneos vaccine wane significantly over the course of a year, raising new questions about just how protected vaccinated people are against reinfection and if booster doses of the vaccine are needed among at-risk populations. (Soucheray, 9/19)

Bavarian Nordic A/S, one of the only companies with a vaccine approved for mpox, has received regulatory approval in Europe for the use of its jab for adolescents. The European Commission extended the current marketing authorization for Bavarian’s inoculation to include adolescents 12 to 17 years of age, the company said on Thursday. To date, the shot has only been indicated for adults. (Wass, 9/19)