A vaccine against cowpox is currently being used against mpox, according to the Department of Health (DoH).

In a radio interview, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said the bulk of the cowpox vaccines provided for free by the World Health Organization (WHO) is currently being given in African countries with mpox outbreaks.

“At first, they used the cowpox vaccine against smallpox and then the children got protected from smallpox,” Herbosa explained.

“So the current vaccine, I will not compete for it because I know they need it more in Africa,” he said.

Herbosa, along with other DoH officials, attended on Friday, 23 August, a hybrid-format WHO briefing on the global mpox situation.

Cure in demand

“There are a limited number of vaccines so we’ll give most of them to Africa because we need to contain the outbreak there,” Herbosa said.

He assured, however, that he had asked the WHO for vaccines once the demand stabilizes.