- Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India, is hopeful about developing the Mpox vaccine and expects results within a year.
- WHO declares Mpox a public health emergency, with 116+ countries affected.
- India is on high alert despite no reported cases; airports and land ports monitoring arrivals.
Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India (SII), announced on Tuesday that they are developing a vaccine for Mpox (monkeypox) in response to the growing number of cases worldwide with positive results anticipated within a year.
This comes after the World Health Organization declared Mpox a public health emergency on August 14, with the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring countries experiencing the most severe impact.
Mpox has been spreading rapidly, infecting people in more than 116 countries.
“In view of the global health emergency declared due to Mpox outbreak, Serum Institute of India is currently working on developing a vaccine for this disease to cater to millions of lives that might be at risk,” said Poonawalla.
In 2022, during the first global healthcare emergency for Mpox, the European Union, United States, Canada, and a few other nations approved the MVA-BN vaccine (Modified Vaccinia Ankara-Bavarian Nordic).
Another vaccine, Acam2000, was also approved by the U.S. FDA for protection against smallpox and Mpox. However, these vaccines have failed to target the Mpox virus.
India has not reported any Mpox cases so far, but authorities are on high alert due to the rapid rise in cases worldwide.
All airports and land ports across the country have been put on alert, and the Union Health Ministry has instructed officials to closely monitor all arrivals.
Edited by Harshajit Sarmah
