The International Coordination Group (ICG, for its acronym in English) on Vaccine Supply has announced the launch of a global initiative aimed at establishing a vaccine reserve against mpox, in order to ensure agile and fair access when countries face new outbreaks.
This international reserve, available to all States, is expected to start operating at the end of September. This mechanism, supported by the Gavi Board, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), in 2025, will be funded by Gavi and managed by the International Coordination Group (ICG) for Vaccine Supply itself.
In this effort, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Doctors Without Borders (MSF), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the World Health Organization (WHO) collaborate as partners of the ICG.
"During the mpox outbreak of 2022, low-income countries lagged behind in access to vaccines, and it became clear that it was necessary to establish a mechanism that ensured this global public good could be within reach of those who need it most," said the executive director of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Sania Nishtar.
The proposal is based on the Access and Allocation Mechanism created in 2024 during the last Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) due to mpox, and seeks to ensure that countries have rapid and equitable access to the necessary doses to respond to outbreaks.
"The creation of a vaccine reserve against mpox is an important step towards a more sustainable and equitable approach to responding to outbreaks of this disease. By establishing a specific global reserve, using an approach that has proven effective in managing other emergency vaccines, we ensure that countries can access them more quickly when they need them, saving lives and containing outbreaks before they spread further," highlighted the Director-General of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Gavi emphasizes that mpox continues to cause outbreaks in various parts of the planet, with two-thirds of the reported cases concentrated in the African Region. Between January 1, 2022, and July 31, 2026, 145 countries and territories reported 190,683 confirmed infections and 529 deaths.
Mpox is a viral infection that is transmitted mainly through close physical contact between people, although transmission from animals to humans continues to be observed in certain areas of Africa, which maintains a constant risk of the emergence of new outbreaks.
This disease can evolve severely, especially in minors and in those with a weakened immune system. By providing protection to individuals who are more likely to become infected and develop severe forms, vaccines allow for quicker control of mpox outbreaks, reduce severe cases, and prevent deaths.