Nurse Carol Ramsubhag-Carela readies a syringe with the Mpox vaccine before giving a shot to a patient at a vaccination site in Brooklyn, New York, on August 30, 2022. AP Photo
Canada has announced it will donate up to 200,000 doses of the mpox vaccine, known as Imvamune, in response to the World Health Organization's recent declaration of mpox as a global health emergency for the second time in two years. The exact number of doses to be sent will depend on how well the recipient countries can store and administer the vaccine.
The decision to donate comes as a crucial step in addressing the global health crisis, especially given the severe inequities in vaccine access observed during the mpox outbreak in 2022. During that outbreak, many African countries struggled to obtain the vaccines, which were essential in controlling the spread of the virus.
Mpox, a disease that spreads through close contact, generally presents mild symptoms similar to the flu but can be severe in rare cases, with symptoms including flu-like signs and pus-filled lesions. The current outbreak, which started in Congo with a strain known as clade I, has recently seen the emergence of a new variant, clade Ib, which spreads more readily through regular close contact, including sexual activities. This new variant has spread to neighbouring countries such as Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, prompting the World Health Organization to intensify its response.
Canada has not disclosed the specific countries that will receive the vaccine or the exact timeline for the delivery. The Canadian government is working with global health organizations like GAVI, the International Vaccine Alliance, and the WHO to assess the outbreak's scope and determine the most effective way to distribute the vaccines. Details on delivery schedules will be provided once they are finalized.
Previously, Health Canada had kept the number of available mpox vaccine doses confidential, citing national security concerns. The only information available was that Canada had secured enough vaccines to support its own provincial and territorial needs. Estimates based on past statements from the vaccine manufacturer, Bavarian Nordic, suggest that Canada may have over 2 million doses in total.
Before the donation was announced, Adam Houston, a medical policy and advocacy adviser for Médecins Sans Frontières Canada, called for more transparency regarding Canada's vaccine supplies and distribution plans. Houston emphasized that the priority should be sharing vaccines to help control the outbreak globally.
