By Associated Press
The World Health Organization has authorized the first mpox vaccine for children, a decision experts hope will help make immunizations more widely available to one of the hardest-hit populations during the ongoing outbreaks of the disease in Congo and elsewhere in Africa.
In a statement late Tuesday, the U.N. health agency said it had approved the mpox vaccine made by Japanese company KM Biologics for use in children over 1 year of age as a single dose.
Earlier this month, the charity Save the Children said that cases among children younger than 18 had increased by more than 130% in Congo, noting there were now more than 25,000 suspect cases.
The charity said that children were almost four times more likely than adults to die from the newest form of mpox first detected in eastern Congo earlier this year. Mpox, related to smallpox, mostly causes symptoms including fever, rash, lesions and fatigue.
“Children are
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