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Nov. 20 (UPI) -- The World Health Organization Tuesday granted emergency use listing for a second mpox vaccine. The LC16m8 vaccine from Japan's KM Biologics was approved following a discussion by the Technical Advisory Group for EUL of vaccines.
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"WHO emergency use listing of the LC16m8 vaccine against mpox marks a significant step in our response to the current emergency, providing a new option to protect all populations, including children," said the WHO's Dr. Yukiko Nakatani in a statement.
Japan's government said it will donate 3.05 million doses of the LC16m8 vaccine, with specialized inoculation needles, to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Bifurcated needles are used to administer the vaccine.
Congo is the hardest-hit by mpox, with more than 39,000 suspected cases and over a thousand suspected deaths, according to the WHO.
The WHO said in a Wednesday report the total number of detailed confirmed cases worldwide as of October is 97,305.
Worldwide, there have been 115,101 lab confirmed mpox cases from Jan. 1, 2022 to October. 31, 2024. Not all of those have been detailed confirmed cases.
In the Americas there were 66,300 confirmed cases. In Europe 28,405 and in Africa 13,792.
There were 255 lab-confirmed deaths globally across 126 countries.
During 2024, mpox cases have been reported across 80 nations, including 19 African countries, according to the WHO.
The LC16m8 vaccine was used during previous mpox outbreaks in Japan and was shown to be safe and effective, including for people with well-controlled HIV.
The vaccine should not be used during pregnancy or in people who are immunocomprimised.
The first mpox vaccine approved by the WHO is MVA-BN, made by Bavarian Nordic A/S.
It was approved for emergency use and can be used "off-label" in infants, children and adolescents as well as in pregnant and immunocompromised people.
