Congo launches its first mpox vaccination campaign

A Congolese health official administers a mpox vaccination to a man, a key step in efforts to contain an outbreak that has spread from its epicentre, at a hospital in Goma, North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of Congo October 5, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer

GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) -Congolese health officials launched their first mpox vaccination campaign on Saturday, a key step in efforts to contain an outbreak that has spread from its epicentre in the Democratic Republic of Congo to numerous other African nations this year.

Officials held a ceremony to mark the start of vaccinations at a hospital in the eastern city of Goma, where health workers were first in line to receive the vaccine doses.