Bavarian Nordic mpox vaccine gets green light from WHO for use in adolescents

The World Health Organisation has given the Bavarian Nordic mpox vaccine the go ahead for use in adolescents aged 12 to 17, an age group which is viewed as especially vulnerable to the disease.

It comes after the UN agency gave the vaccine the green light in September as the first shot against mpox in adults. The move made it simpler for African countries particularly hard-hit by mpox to acquire the vaccine.

Danish drug maker Bavarian Nordic also says that it is gearing up to carry out a clinical trial to evaluate the safety of the vaccine for use in those aged between 2 and 12.

It comes as parts of Africa attempt to quell a surge in cases of the disease, which causes flu-like symptoms and skin lesions.

In August, the World Health Organisation declared mpox a global public health emergency after a new strain of the virus spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighbouring countries, including Burundi and Rwanda.

Scientists have warned that the new strain, dubbed clade 1b, is a more dangerous variant.

Almost 30,000 suspected cases of mpox have been recorded on the African continent this year. A handful of cases have also been reported in Europe and Asia.