Spain will provide 500,000 doses of the mpox vaccine to fight the outbreak in Africa

Spain will contribute 500,000 doses of the mpox vaccine, which accounts for 20% of its stockpile, to address an outbreak of the disease in Africa, according to a statement released by the Health Ministry on Tuesday.

It was also stated that the country had encouraged the European Commission to suggest that all EU member states donate 20% of their respective vaccine stocks.

“It makes no sense to stockpile vaccines where there is no problem, and now is the time to prove it,” according to the ministry. Spain’s donation comprises 100,000 containers, which are sufficient to produce 500,000 doses.

After an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo spread to neighboring countries and a new form of the virus, clade Ib, raised concerns about the rapidity of transmission, the World Health Organization has declared mpox a global public health emergency.

Spain’s Health Minister, Monica Garcia, stated last week that the vaccines were in “very good supply.” Spain has documented 268 cases of the old strain thus far this year, which is significantly lower than the 7,500 cases that were recorded in a global outbreak in 2022. The vaccine has been administered to approximately 40,000 individuals thus far.