Spain will donate 500,000 doses of the mpox vaccine, accounting for 20% of its national stockpile, to help address a growing outbreak of the disease in Africa, the Health Ministry announced on Tuesday. This move comes as part of Spain’s broader effort to support global health initiatives and combat the spread of the virus in regions where it is most needed.
The donation comprises 100,000 vials of the vaccine, which will provide 500,000 doses. In a statement, the Health Ministry emphasized the importance of distributing vaccines where they are most needed, rather than hoarding them in countries where the virus is under control. “It makes no sense to stockpile vaccines where there is no problem, and now is the time to prove it,” the ministry said.
Spain has also called on the European Commission to encourage all EU member states to donate 20% of their respective vaccine stocks. This collective effort would significantly bolster the global response to the mpox outbreak, which has become a pressing public health concern.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared mpox a global public health emergency, following an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that has since spread to neighboring countries. The emergence of a new variant, clade Ib, has heightened concerns about the virus’s rapid transmission and potential impact on public health systems in the region.
Spain’s decision to donate a significant portion of its vaccine stockpile is a reflection of its confidence in its domestic vaccine supply. Last week, Health Minister Monica Garcia reassured the public that Spain had “a very good stock” of the vaccines, noting that the country has recorded only 268 cases of the older strain of the virus so far this year. This figure is a marked decrease from the 7,500 cases reported during the global outbreak in 2022.
To date, approximately 40,000 people in Spain have received the mpox vaccine, further underscoring the country’s proactive approach to managing the virus. The donation is seen as a critical step in supporting countries that are currently battling more severe outbreaks and lack the necessary resources to curb the spread of the disease.
As Spain leads by example, the global community will be watching closely to see how other nations respond to the call for greater vaccine sharing and collaboration in the fight against mpox.
