WHO clears Bavarian Nordic's vaccine as first shot against mpox

The World Health Organisation said on Friday it had cleared Bavarian Nordic's vaccine as the first shot against mpox.

The approval, known as a pre-qualification, is an official list of medicines used as a benchmark for procurement by developing countries.

"This first prequalification of a vaccine against mpox is an important step in our fight against the disease, both in the context of the current outbreaks in Africa, and in future," WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

Mpox, a viral infection that spreads through close contact and is usually mild but can kill, was declared a public emergency of international concern by the WHO last month.