The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Monday that it has approved the use of the Bavarian Nordic anti-mpox vaccine for adolescents aged 12 to 17, a group considered particularly vulnerable to outbreaks of this disease that has sparked global concern, according to reports..
The WHO specified in a statement that it granted the Jynneos vaccine prequalification status for use in adolescents on October 8.
In August, the WHO declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years after a new strain of the virus spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighboring countries.
The UN health agency authorized the use of this vaccine in September as the first injection against mpox for adults, thereby facilitating vaccine access for severely affected African countries.
Children, adolescents, and those with weakened immune systems have been particularly vulnerable to mpox, a viral infection that typically causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled skin lesions.
The EU and the US have already approved the anti-mpox vaccination for adolescents with the serum produced by Bavarian Nordic
The latest decision from the WHO follows the EU’s approval of the vaccine for adolescents in September.
The Danish biotechnology company Bavarian Nordic is also preparing to conduct a clinical trial to assess the safety of the vaccine in children aged 2 to 12, which could expand its usage.
The study, partially funded by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, is expected to commence in October.
The U.S.Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also approved the vaccine produced by Bavarian Nordic, but only for individuals aged over 18, although it granted emergency use authorization for adolescents during the acute phase of the mpox outbreak in 2022.
Another mpox vaccine, LC16, manufactured by KM Biologics in Japan, can already be administered to children, according to the Japanese regulatory authority, but it requires a special type of syringe.
