The World Health Organization 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.

(Reuters)