GENEVA

Austrian Health Minister Johannes Rauch on Friday said Vienna will donate mpox vaccine to African countries, as the continent battles an outbreak of the virus.

“Austria is ready to donate Mpox vaccine to African countries. The recent Mpox outbreak is endangering the lives and health of tens of thousands of people there. I support @SKyriakidesEU's call for coordinated action by EU countries,” Rauch said on X.

“We will clarify the exact number of doses and the organizational details with the EU Commission immediately,” he added.

The Austrian initiative came shortly after EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides called for solidarity and cooperation.

“I have written to the EU health ministers to inform them about the planned donation of #mpox vaccines and therapeutics. Solidarity is key to tackling global health threats. We are counting on Member States to support our African partners in tackling the outbreak,” Kyriakides wrote on X.

Austria has 34,000 doses in stock, which can be used for up to 170,000 vaccinations in accordance with the recommendation of the National Vaccination Committee.

The viral infection that spreads through close contact was declared a public emergency of international concern by the WHO last week after a new variant of the virus spread quickly in Democratic Republic of Congo and beyond.