UNICEF and partners unite to tackle mpox outbreak

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, jointly announced that UNICEF has issued an emergency tender that will be used to procure mpox vaccines to be distributed in countries with the greatest need, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which is at the epicenter of the deadly outbreak.

The tender will enable UNICEF to negotiate with vaccine manufacturers and suppliers to collect and distribute up to 12 million doses of mpox vaccine through 2025. The funds will also be used to expand production.

“Addressing the current mpox vaccine shortage and delivering vaccines to communities who need them now is of paramount importance. There is also a pressing need for a universal and transparent allocation mechanism to ensure equitable access to mpox vaccines,” said Leila Pakkala, director of the UNICEF supply division.

A spokesperson for Bavarian Nordic told BioProcess Insider that his company was working with UNICEF and other organizations about securing doses of the mpox vaccine, but that he was unable to share further details. Bavarian Nordic’s Jynneos vaccine is one of two approved for mpox by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) along with Emergent BioSolution’s ACAM2000 vaccine.

“With several partners working on securing access to supply, today’s announcement represents an important step in this emergency, enabling UNICEF to purchase and deliver vaccines after Gavi and other partners make funding available and sign purchase or donation agreements with manufacturers for the most immediate dose needs,” said Derrick Sim, interim chief vaccine programmes and markets officer at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

“Securing access to supply and financing, delivering doses, and ensuring countries are ready to administer [vaccines], are all vital actions that need to be conducted rapidly but thoroughly in a coordinated manner. We welcome this tender as another positive step our alliance and Africa CDC are taking in this response.”

For its part, Africa CDC has declared the mpox outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS) in addition to working with partners such as UNICEF to secure vaccine and laboratory space. The organization will host a webinar on September 6 entitled Special Press Briefing on the Mpox Outbreak and Other Health Emergencies in Africa featuring Jean Kaseya, the director general of the Africa CDC, and Laurent Muschel, director general health emergency preparedness and response authority (HERA), from the EU.

“As we confront the ongoing Mpox outbreak, the timely procurement and distribution of vaccines is crucial to protecting the most vulnerable populations, particularly in the hardest-hit regions. This emergency tender is a critical step forward in our collective effort to control the spread of this disease. Africa CDC is committed to ensuring that vaccines are allocated swiftly and equitably across the continent, in partnership with UNICEF, Gavi, WHO, and other key stakeholders. Our unified response is essential to curbing the impact of this public health emergency and safeguarding the health and well-being of our communities,” said Kaseya.

In June, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance announced a five-year plan beginning in 2026 to establish a global stockpile of mpox vaccines. In the meantime, the organization will invest in education to improve and inform future vaccination efforts while continuously supporting the relief effort in the DRC and other affected countries.

A media contact for UNICEF did not respond to a request for comment.