Stronger, faster, fairer: making mpox vaccines accessible
October 7, 2025
The global mpox crisis continues to expose deep inequities in vaccine access and outbreak preparedness. While licensed vaccines like MVA-BN and LC16m8 exist, their limited availability in low- and middle-income countries leaves millions unprotected. CEPI’s mpox program aims to close these gaps by generating critical data for regulators, expanding testing capacity in high-burden countries, and accelerating vaccine deployment. Through partnerships with WHO, Africa CDC, and local research institutes, CEPI is building the scientific and logistical infrastructure needed to deliver vaccines efficiently and equitably. This work is not just about stopping today’s outbreak; it is about preparing for the next.
Mpox has reemerged as a formidable public health threat, revealing global disparities in access to vaccines and diagnostics. Despite the availability of licensed vaccines such as Bavarian Nordic’s MVA-BN and KM Biologics’ LC16m8, most low- and middle-income countries still face shortages, delaying protection for those at highest risk. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) is addressing this inequity through its mpox program, which seeks to generate robust scientific evidence and strengthen local capacities to ensure vaccines reach vulnerable populations quickly and safely.
CEPI’s efforts focus on closing the evidence gap for regulatory and clinical decision-making. Studies in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda are evaluating how vaccines perform in diverse groups, including children, pregnant women, and people living with HIV. A new trial is also examining the LC16m8 vaccine, which has not been deployed in mpox outbreaks before. Complementing these efforts, CEPI’s standardized vaccine assays and international collaborations are creating a consistent framework for evaluating immune responses, while the collection of survivor blood samples supports the development of a global mpox standard.
Beyond research, CEPI is investing in the infrastructure needed for sustainable outbreak response. It is strengthening laboratory capacity at the National Institute of Biomedical Research in the DRC and the Uganda Virus Research Institute, both key to accelerating reliable immune-response testing. Through the Access and Allocation Mechanism, CEPI works with WHO and Africa CDC to ensure that vaccine doses reach high-burden regions.
Looking forward, CEPI’s investments extend to next-generation vaccine platforms, including mRNA-based candidates such as BioNTech’s mpox program, now in early clinical stages. With more than US$100 million committed, CEPI’s integrated approach—from scientific standardization to equitable vaccine distribution—offers a model for how the world can prepare not only for today’s mpox emergency but also for future poxvirus threats.