Which African kontris don begin roll out Mpox vaccines and wetin to know about am

Multiple African kontris don begin roll out vaccinations to quench di rapid spread of mpox, wey formerly dey known as monkeypox virus.

Dis na di first time these vaccines go dey used in large vaccination programmes across Africa in a bid to reach thousands of vulnerable pipo.

Since di beginning of dis year, cases of mpox don show for 16 kontris for di continent according to di World Health Organization (WHO).

Ghana record dia first mpox case last week.

Di kontri wey Mpox hit most na di Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), as estimate of 22,000 pipo dey infected and more dan 700 deaths according to di Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Although concerns dey say di numbers fit dey higher but na di one wey dem fit record be dat sake of limited testing and poor contact tracing.

DR Congo dey plan to roll out dia vaccinations for Goma city, one of di most impacted parts of di kontri.

Nigeria neva begin see high mpox cases - more dan 70 cases don dey identified so far.

Di Health Ministry bin plan to target high-risk groups for some states wey include Ogun, Akwa Ibom, Plateau, Cross River, and Abia. But on Wednesday, 9 October, authorities confam say dem don postpone rollout plans.

Rwanda na di first African kontri to rollout dia mpox vaccines last month, but di kontri currently dey battle two outbreaks - mpox plus di deadly Marburg virus.

Rwanda health ministry tok say dem go start clinical trials for experimental Marburg vaccines and treatments in di coming weeks.

Here na wetin you need know - Which vaccines dey available?

Di World Health Organization (WHO) recommend three different vaccines for use against mpox.

Di MVA-BN, wey Danish Bavarian Nordic produce, e also dey known as di Jynneos vaccine. Na di first vaccine wey WHO add to dia pre-qualification list for September.

Di pre-qualification process na to make sure say health products meet global standards of quality, safety and efficacy.

Di oda two vaccines di health body recommend na di LC-16, wey Japanese KM Biologics produce, and di ACAM2000 wey US based Sanofi Pasteur Biologics, LLC produce.

E dey take about two weeks afta pesin receive di vaccine to dey fully protected.

One version of these vaccines bin dey originally used to fight smallpox, wey di WHO say dem cancel globally for 1980. Di final case of di disease wey dem record for Africa na for Somalia for 1977.

Smallpox and mpox viruses na from di same family dem call orthopoxvirus.

Dem get similar traits and fit cause some of di same symptoms, like rashes and fever.

Who go receive these vaccines?

Di WHO no recommend say make kontris vaccinate dia entire populations, instead e say vaccines dey strongly advised just for use for high-risk groups.

These groups include health workers, pipo wey don get close contacts wit pipo wey get mpox (including children), pipo wit multiple sexual partners, men wey dey into sexual relations wit men and sex workers.

During di 2022 global mpox outbreak, dem link most of di cases to sexual activity among gay, bisexual, and oda men wey dey do kerewa wit dia fellow men. D clade 2 strain of di virus bin dey responsible for dis outbreak.

According to di CDC, di current outbreak wey dey spread across East and Central Africa dey different. Three different cases na im cause di mpox strains, wey dey affect different groups of pipo and geographical regions.

Children go dey vaccinated?

So far, only di LC-16 dey officially approved for use for pipo under 18, according to di WHO.

Dem fit use di MVA-BN vaccine only for pipo under 18 for special cases, one approach wey dey known as ‘off-label’ use.

Dis one mean say dem fit use am inside emergency to protect larger number of pipo.

For example, DR Congo fit consider dis as plenty number of children don dey impacted. Di ACAM2000 no dey recommended for children.

Recently, di European Union pharmaceuticals regulator approve di MVA-BN vaccine for adolescents.

How dem go give these vaccines?

Dem dey give di MVA-BN vaccine in two injections, 28 days apart, and dem go inject am for di upper arm.

Di oda two vaccines na single-dose shots, dem dey administer am using one special bifurcated needle.

Wit dis needle, dem go chook di skin several times during di vaccination to administer di vaccine under di skin, and usually, one small lesion go show wia dem give di injection.

Side-effects dey?

Like most vaccines, some pipo fit no feel any side effects at all while odas fit experience mild pain or swelling wia dem chook dem di injection, itching, fatigue, headaches, muscle pain, nausea, or mild fever.

Pesin wey don dey vaccinated fit still catch mpox?

Yes, e dey possible to catch mpox afta you don dey vaccinated but according to di WHO plus di Africa CDC, di chances dey lower.

Vaccination dey reduce di risk of catching am in di first place and help protect against severe illness during infection.

Pesin overall health, or dia age, fit potentially affect how long dia vaccination protection lasts. For example, if someone get weak immune system becos of one underlying illness, dem fit dey more vulnerable.

These vaccines go prove effective against di new mpox Clade 1b?

Researchers still dey collect data on how effective these vaccines be following studies dem do for 2022, during di beginning of di global outbreak, WHO regional Mpox Incident Manager for Africa, Dr. Samuel Boland.

Available data show say di vaccines work well wen you complete all di doses, e emphasise.

E tok say while studies bin no dey specific to di newly-identified Clade 1b, di vaccines “provide cross-protection” and dem dey do more studies to learn how well mpox vaccines dey work in different places.

Dr Boland tell BBC News say WHO dey monitor di mpox virus for any mutations wey fit change how e dey spread, or how effective treatments be. E say di organisation dey ready to adjust public health strategies if need be.

Africa CDC director general, Jean Kaseya, tok say di approved MVA-BN vaccine dey efficient, so dem go use am respond to di Clade 1b mpox variant.

Wetin you suppose do if you get di symptoms?

If you dey show symptoms like fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, fatigue, swollen glands (lymph nodes) and rashes, or you get questions or concerns about di virus, contact your local health provider for help.