WHO vaccine advisers have backed offering mpox jabs to children at heightened risk during outbreaks, but stopped short of recommending routine vaccination for all children.
Children who are at risk of mpox during active outbreaks should be included in targeted vaccination plans, the World Health Organisation’s vaccine advisers have said, while stopping short of backing routine preventative vaccination for all children. The guidance preserves a narrower approach for times when transmission is not widespread, reflecting concern both about scarce vaccine supplies and about the limited evidence available for younger age groups.
At a WHO briefing on 13 October, Anthony Scott, who chairs the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation, said mpox remains a global health concern even after the worst surges eased. He said young children and people with severe immune suppression face the highest risk of serious illness, which is why outbreak responses should focus on those most exposed and most vulnerable.
Under the new advice, countries responding to outbreaks should prioritise people in affected communities who are more likely to be infected, including children, close contacts of confirmed cases, people exposed through sexual networks, and health workers and response teams with repeated exposure. But the panel drew a clear line against routine childhood vaccination outside outbreaks, saying preventive use in endemic areas should be limited to research settings until more is known about safety and effectiveness in children, pregnant women and severely immunocompromised people.
That caution is relevant in Nigeria, where authorities have already used a targeted vaccination strategy. According to WHO’s report on the country’s September 2025 campaign, officials ran a programme across 12 high-burden states with 30,100 doses of the MVA-BN vaccine supplied with Gavi support. The campaign focused on adults aged 18 and over who had been exposed to confirmed cases, frontline health workers, people with weakened immune systems and those at higher sexual exposure risk, with doses given in two-shot courses four weeks apart.
WHO’s account of the Nigerian effort included testimony from a frontline worker in Plateau state, Danjuma Chundung Daform, who said: “As a health worker, I face increased risks. Being vaccinated boosts my confidence to keep serving my community.” The remarks underscore the occupational risks that have shaped vaccination policy in outbreak settings.
The advisers’ latest position also comes as access to vaccines is widening. In September, WHO and its partners announced a global mpox stockpile, backed by Gavi and coordinated through the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision, to speed up and better distribute supplies during outbreaks. WHO said at the time that there had been 190,683 confirmed cases and 529 deaths across 145 countries and territories between January 2022 and 31 July 2026, with about two-thirds of reported cases in Africa.
WHO says mpox is spread mainly through close physical contact, including sexual contact, though animal-to-human transmission also occurs in parts of Africa. The organisation recommends PCR testing to confirm infection, ideally using material from skin lesions, fluid from lesions or crusts, because the disease can be mistaken for chickenpox and other skin conditions. That diagnostic step matters because public health teams need to identify contacts quickly and determine who should be offered vaccination, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
