U.S. Democrats warn 800,000 mpox vaccine doses for Africa may expire

Nearly 800,000 U.S.-funded mpox vaccine doses intended for African nations risk expiry in warehouses, 48 Democratic lawmakers warned Wednesday, urging urgent shipment to avoid waste.

Dozens of Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives have called on the State Department to act swiftly, warning that hundreds of thousands of mpox vaccine doses, meant for Africa, could expire unused. In a letter signed by 48 Democrats and led by Representatives Mark Pocan of Wisconsin and Sara Jacobs of California, lawmakers said about 800,000 doses are at risk, with 220,000 still viable if shipped immediately.

"This is a moral, strategic, and public health failure in the making," the letter read.

The U.S. State Department has yet to issue a response.

The vaccines were originally promised to African countries hit hard by the mpox outbreak, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda, and Burundi. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern in August 2024, following the spread of a new strain from the DRC.

Mpox, a viral disease that spreads through close contact, causes flu-like symptoms and painful lesions. While usually mild, it can be deadly. The WHO said last month that the crisis remains a global health emergency.

The situation has been further complicated by U.S. President Donald Trump’s sharp cuts to foreign aid. Since beginning his second term six months ago, Trump has downsized international assistance programmes, firing thousands of aid workers and pushing through $8 billion in aid reductions with backing from the Republican-controlled Congress.

Trump argues that the U.S. carries an unfair burden and has called on other nations to contribute more to humanitarian causes.

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