The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Monday that it has approved Bavarian Nordic’s mpox vaccine for adolescents aged 12 to 17, a group identified as particularly vulnerable to outbreaks of the disease.
The approval for the Jynneos vaccine was granted on October 8, following the WHO’s declaration in August that mpox was a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, after the virus spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighboring countries.
Previously, the WHO had authorized the use of the vaccine for adults in September, which has facilitated access for heavily affected African nations. Mpox, a viral infection, typically presents with flu-like symptoms and painful skin lesions, making children, adolescents, and individuals with weakened immune systems especially at risk.
The WHO’s recent decision follows the European Union’s approval of the vaccine for adolescents in September. Additionally, Bavarian Nordic is set to conduct a clinical trial to evaluate the vaccine’s safety in younger children aged two to 12, with the trial expected to begin in October. This trial is partially funded by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.
While the US Food and Drug Administration has approved Bavarian’s vaccine for adults 18 and older, it granted Emergency Use Authorization for adolescents during the mpox outbreak in 2022.
In Japan, another mpox vaccine, LC16, produced by KM Biologics, is already approved for use in children, though it requires a special needle for administration.