Second mpox case reported in Peshawar for 2025

PESHAWAR: A second case of mpox virus has been detected in Peshawar as confirmed by the KP health department.

A baby travelling with the parents was identified to be carrying mpox during the screening at Peshawar Airport. The five-month-old infant had arrived from Qatar.

Less than a week ago, the first case of the virus was reported in Peshawar. The tally now stands at 11 in KP, with two being in 2023, seven in 2024 and first in 2025.

Last year in September, the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced the MVA-BN vaccine as the first vaccine against Mpox to be added to its prequalification list.

The prequalification approval is expected to facilitate timely and increased access to this vital product in communities with urgent need, to reduce transmission and help contain the outbreak.

WHO’s assessment for prequalification is based on information submitted by the manufacturer, Bavarian Nordic A/S, and review by the European Medicines Agency, the regulatory agency of record for this vaccine.

“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 future,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “We now need urgent scale up in procurement, donations and rollout to ensure equitable access to vaccines where they are needed most, alongside other public health tools, to prevent infections, stop transmission and save lives.”

The MVA-BN vaccine can be administered in people over 18-years of age as a 2-dose injection given 4 weeks apart. After prior cold storage, the vaccine can be kept at 2–8°C for up to 8 weeks.