September 17, (THEWILL) – The United States has denied plans to impose travel restrictions on individuals arriving from African countries due to the rising cases of monkeypox (mpox).
John Nkengasong, the US Global AIDS Coordinator and Senior Bureau Official for Global Health Security and Diplomacy, clarified this position during an online press briefing on Monday.
“The U.S. does not plan to put in place travel restrictions for people travelling from Africa. That is a rumour. So, we do not, at this point, think that is going to happen,” said Nkengasong.
The clarification came amid concerns that the US might reinstate travel policies like those introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, including mandatory vaccinations for travellers.
Nkengasong said the United States would continue to work with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the WHO to ensure the spread of lethal outbreaks of mpox in Africa did not develop into a pandemic. He also promised an additional $35 million in support to fight mpox.
“The US is mobilising additional resources. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) just announced $35 million, and we will stay committed until we bring this outbreak under control, in collaboration, of course, with others: WHO and Africa CDC,” he stated.
Mpox was first identified more than 50 years ago in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). While the global spread started in 2022, a new version of the virus, one that is sexually transmissible, was identified in 2023 in Congo which housed over 21,000 suspected mpox cases, and 700 deaths just in 2024.
WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern in August 2024. The global health agency, on Friday, authorised the use of Bavarian Nordic MVA-BN vaccine for the treatment of Mpox.
Current data indicate that the vaccine is 76 percent effective after a single dose and 82 percent effective after two doses. However, WHO emphasised the need for continued data collection on the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness.
