Truckers get priority in new Mpox vaccine sharing rules

Thousands of truck drivers will be among the first Kenyans to receive Mpox vaccine when it is available this year, new recommendations have said.

The World Health Organization advised that the vaccines should first go to those at the greatest risk to prevent illness and death.

At least 10,000 registered long-distance truck drivers are based in Kenya, according to their lobby, the Kenya Long Distance Truck Drivers and Allied Workers Union. 

Four of the five Kenyans who contracted Mpox are trick drivers while one is a spouse of a trucker.

The Ministry of Health has estimated Kenya will need about two million doses, which is subject to the vaccine availability.

WHO said alongside its partners, it has established an access and allocation mechanism for vaccines, treatments and diagnostic tests.

“The Access and Allocation Mechanism will increase access to these tools for people at highest risk and ensure that the limited supplies are used effectively and equitably,” it said 

Fifteen countries in Africa have reported Mpox this year.

WHO director general Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus said Covid-19 pandemic illustrated the need for international coordination to promote equitable access.

“We urge countries with supplies of vaccines and other products to come forward with donations, to prevent infections, stop transmission and save lives,” he said.

More than 3.6 million doses of vaccines have been pledged for the Mpox response.  This includes 620,000 doses of the MVA-BN vaccine pledged to affected countries by the European Commission, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Spain and the US, as well as vaccine manufacturer Bavarian Nordic.

Japan has pledged three million doses of the LC16 vaccine, the largest number of doses pledged so far.  

The WHO said AAM is working to allocate the currently scarce supplies of vaccines and diagnostics for those at the highest risk of infection, including for vaccinating contacts of confirmed cases and providing access to point of care diagnostics to countries with ongoing Mpox outbreaks so that people who might be suspected cases can systematically be tested and cared for. 

It said AAM will also ensure equitable access to medical countermeasures for all people at risk, irrespective of socio-economic or demographic background. 

It will also establish and maintain clear and open communication about allocation decisions and be ready to adapt strategies as new data emerge or situations change.

“WHO and partners are supporting the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other countries to implement an integrated approach to case detection, contact tracing, targeted vaccination, clinical and home care, infection prevention and control, community engagement and mobilisation and specialized logistical support,” said Dr Mike Ryan, executive director of WHO’s health emergencies programme.

“The AAM will provide a reliable pipeline of vaccines and other tools in order to ensure the success on the ground in interrupting transmission and reducing suffering.” 

Kenya confirmed the fifth case of Mpox virus on September 5.

The Ministry of Health said the patient was a 28-year-old female from Mombasa, a resident of VOK area.

The patient, a spouse to the fourth case, was at that time in isolation at Utange Hospital's Mpox isolation centre.

The fourth case was admitted in Nakuru.

"The patient has no travel history to a country reporting Mpox cases, her spouse had recently travelled to Rwanda returning on August 24," said Health CS Deborah Barasa.

According to the ministry, 124 samples had been submitted to laboratories for testing, with 110 testing negative and nine still under analysis, by September 6.

To date, more than 700,000 travellers have been screened at 24 ports of entry across the country.

"Active surveillance for suspected cases is ongoing to control the spread of the disease," Barasa said.

Data by the ministry says 33 contacts are currently under observation, while two out of the five positive cases have recovered.