WHO approves 1st mpox vaccine for global use

China

WHO approves 1st mpox vaccine for global use

2024-09-14 11:36 Last Updated At：19:27

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday the approval of the MVA-BN vaccine, developed by Bavarian Nordic A/S, as the first-ever mpox vaccine to be added to its prequalification list.

This prequalification approval is expected to greatly improve access to the vaccine in regions facing urgent outbreaks, especially in Africa, aiding efforts to reduce transmission and control the spread of the disease.

"This first prequalification of a vaccine against mpox is an important step in our fight against the disease, both in the context of the current outbreaks in Africa, and in the future," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

He stressed the need to scale up vaccine procurement and distribution to ensure equitable access for those most at risk.

The vaccine is administered in two doses, four weeks apart, for adults aged 18 and over.

The prequalification decision will accelerate procurement by international agencies and speed up national regulatory approvals, according to WHO Assistant Director-General Yukiko Nakatani.

Current data indicate that the vaccine is 76 percent effective after a single dose and 82 percent effective after two doses. WHO emphasized the need for continued data collection on the vaccine's safety and effectiveness.

The total number of mpox cases in Africa has climbed to 26,543, including 5,732 confirmed cases and 724 deaths, in 2024.

Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya, while addressing a special online media briefing on the multi-country mpox outbreak in Africa Thursday evening, said the African continent reported 3,160 new cases during the past week alone, including 434 confirmed cases and 107 deaths, eventually bringing the total number of cases reported this year to 26,543.

Data from the African Union's specialized healthcare agency show that the cases were reported from 15 African countries across all five regions of the continent, with a case fatality rate of 2.73 percent.

It said children under 15 years of age account for 41 percent of all confirmed mpox cases reported on the African continent so far, and males account for 63 percent of all confirmed cases.

In mid-August, the Africa CDC declared the ongoing mpox outbreak in Africa as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS). Soon after that, WHO also declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern, activating its highest level of global alert for mpox for the second time in two years.

With the rapid spread of the virus, countries in other continents, including Pakistan, Singapore and Thailand in Asia, have tightened screening of international travelers and implemented precautions against it.

China's housing market sees positive changes following eased homebuying rules

2024-10-07 17:52 Last Updated At：18:37

China's top housing authority has noted "overall positive changes" in the real estate market, as homebuyer confidence was revived by a series of beneficial measures announced by major Chinese cities since September to boost the country's property markets.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development said most cities have seen a rise in visits to property projects by over 50 percent from a year ago.

Thanks to new policy adjustments on Sept 30, both transaction volume and inquiries for second-hand homes in Beijing increased notably during the week-long National Day holiday, which runs from Oct 1 to 7.

"On Oct 1, four orders were signed at our store and on Oct 2, one order was signed, bringing the total number to five. This marks a historical peak in our transaction records," said Liu Qiujing, a house agent at Huilongguan sub-branch of Lianjia Real Estate Brokerage in Beijing.

She also reported that property viewings at her store stood at 39 groups during the holiday, an increase of 15 groups over the previous week.

According to a circular jointly issued by six municipal departments on Sept 30, non-Beijing residents are allowed to purchase homes inside the city's fifth ring road if they have a record of paying social insurance or individual income tax in the city for at least three years - down from five years as was previously required.

The new policies which took effect on Oct 1 also lift the housing purchase restrictions in Tongzhou District, where the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center is located, to allow the district's homebuying rules to comply with the city's unified property market policy.

Under the new rules, homebuyers face less financial pressure, as the minimum down payment ratio for individual commercial mortgages are reduced from 20 percent to 15 percent for first-home purchases, and from 30 percent to 20 percent for second homes.

"Following the introduction of the new regulations, buyers have shown a stronger willingness to purchase properties, acquiring them more swiftly. Clients with rigid demand for residential housing are swiftly entering the market. From the perspective of homebuyers, their confidence has significantly increased," said Liu.

Between Oct 1 and noon of Oct 3, on-site inquiries for second-hand homes in Beijing jumped by 104.1 percent year on year, according to a report on the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.