FIRST VACCINE 

The first vaccine ever developed was for smallpox.

 

It was created by Edward Jenner, an English physician, in 1796.

 

Jenner noticed that milkmaids who had contracted cowpox, a less severe disease similar to smallpox, seemed to be protected from smallpox.

 

To test his theory, he took material from a cowpox sore and inoculated an eight-year-old boy named James Phipps.

 

The boy developed a mild case of cowpox but did not contract smallpox when later exposed to the disease. This groundbreaking experiment laid the foundation for modern vaccination, and the smallpox vaccine became the world's first successful vaccine, eventually leading to the eradication of smallpox worldwide.

 

 

  sCHOOL VACCINES 

School-based vaccination programs were introduced gradually throughout the 20th century.

 

The first school vaccination program for smallpox was initiated in Massachusetts in the late 1800s.

 

In the mid-20th century, vaccination programs for diseases like polio, measles, mumps, and rubella were introduced in schools as these vaccines became available.

 

In other countries, the timeline for school vaccination programs may have been different.

 

The implementation of such programs is often influenced by disease prevalence, vaccine availability, public health priorities, and government policies.

 

 

  The Safety Of Vaccines 

Vaccines are among the most effective and safe tools we have to prevent and control infectious diseases.

 

The development and approval process for vaccines involve rigorous scientific research, clinical trials, and regulatory assessments to ensure their safety and effectiveness.

 

Vaccines have played a critical role in controlling and eradicating many infectious diseases, saving millions of lives globally.

 

Their safety and effectiveness have been proven through extensive research and real-world use, making them a vital tool in protecting individual and public health.

PWHO Director-General declares

MPox outbreak a public health emergency

of international concern

14 August 2024 | News release | Reading time: 3 min (789 words)

    WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has determined that the upsurge of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a growing number of countries in Africa constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR).

 

    Dr Tedros’s declaration came on the advice of an IHR Emergency Committee of independent experts who met earlier in the day to review data presented by experts from WHO and affected countries.     The Committee informed the Director-General that it considers the upsurge of mpox to be a PHEIC, with potential to spread further across countries in Africa and possibly outside the continent.

 

    The Director-General will share the report of the Committee’s meeting and, based on the advice of the Committee, issue temporary recommendations to countries.

 

    In declaring the PHEIC, Dr Tedros said, "The emergence of a new clade of mpox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC, and the reporting of cases in several neighbouring countries are very worrying. On top of outbreaks of other mpox clades in DRC and other countries in Africa, it’s clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives.”

 

    WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr Matshidiso Moeti said, “Significant efforts are already underway in close collaboration with communities and governments, with our country teams working on the frontlines to help reinforce measures to curb mpox. With the growing spread of the virus, we’re scaling up further through coordinated international action to support countries bring the outbreaks to an end.”

 

    Committee Chair Professor Dimie Ogoina said, “The current upsurge of mpox in parts of Africa, along with the spread of a new sexually transmissible strain of the monkeypox virus, is an emergency, not only for Africa, but for the entire globe. Mpox, originating in Africa, was neglected there, and later caused a global outbreak in 2022. It is time to act decisively to prevent history from repeating itself."

 

    This PHEIC determination is the second in two years relating to mpox. Caused by an Orthopoxvirus, mpox was first detected in humans in 1970, in the DRC. The disease is considered endemic to countries in central and west Africa.

 

    In July 2022, the multi-country outbreak of mpox was declared a PHEIC as it spread rapidly via sexual contact across a range of countries where the virus had not been seen before. That PHEIC was declared over in May 2023 after there had been a sustained decline in global cases.

 

    Mpox has been reported in the DRC for more than a decade, and the number of cases reported each year has increased steadily over that period. Last year, reported cases increased significantly, and already the number of cases reported so far this year has exceeded last year’s total, with more than 15 600 cases and 537 deaths.

 

    The emergence last year and rapid spread of a new virus strain in DRC, clade 1b, which appears to be spreading mainly through sexual networks, and its detection in countries neighbouring the DRC is especially concerning, and one of the main reasons for the declaration of the PHEIC.

 

    In the past month, over 100 laboratory-confirmed cases of clade 1b have been reported in four countries neighbouring the DRC that have not reported mpox before: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. Experts believe the true number of cases to be higher as a large proportion of clinically compatible cases have not been tested.

Several outbreaks of different clades of mpox have occurred in different countries, with different modes of transmission and different levels of risk.

 

    The two vaccines currently in use for mpox are recommended by WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization, and are also approved by WHO-listed national regulatory authorities, as well as by individual countries including Nigeria and the DRC.

Last week, the Director-General triggered the process for Emergency Use Listing for mpox vaccines, which will accelerate vaccine access for lower-income countries which have not yet issued their own national regulatory approval. Emergency Use Listing also enables partners including Gavi and UNICEF to procure vaccines for distribution.

 

    WHO is working with countries and vaccine manufacturers on potential vaccine donations, and coordinating with partners through the interim Medical Countermeasures Network to facilitate equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics and other tools.

 

    WHO anticipates an immediate funding requirement of an initial US$ 15 million to support surveillance, preparedness and response activities. A needs assessment is being undertaken across the three levels of the Organization.

 

    To allow for an immediate scale up, WHO has released US$ 1.45 million from the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies and may need to release more in the coming days.

 

    The Organization appeals to donors to fund the full extent of needs of the mpox response.