Notes on Recent Health Situations: Moox and Empo

Introduction

• Philippines reports first case of Moox since December.
• WHO declared Empo a global Public Health Emergency, the highest alert level.

Context of WHO's Declaration

• Current Situation:
  • Africa is the epicenter of the Empo outbreak.
  • Over 17,000 cases and 500 deaths reported in 2023, primarily in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
• New Strain:
  • A new variant is driving the surge in cases.
  • Cases mainly affecting children, suggesting easier spread through casual contact.

Spread and Characteristics

• Transmission:
  • The strain is not airborne; it spreads through contact.
  • Many cases involve household contacts and occur in overcrowded healthcare settings.
• Concerns:
  • Potential for rapid spread in institutional settings raises alarms.

Vaccines and Production

• Vaccine Availability:
  • Existing vaccines are available for Empo.
  • Bavarian Nordic can manufacture 2 million doses by end of 2023 and 10 million by end of 2025.
• Capacity Issues:
  • Ongoing efforts to increase production capacity.
  • No immediate need for large-scale ramp-up like with COVID-19 vaccines.

Current Status and Monitoring

• Geographic Concentration:
  • Current cases are concentrated in Africa.
  • Recent cases in Sweden and the Philippines are linked to travel from Africa but are still unverified as part of the current outbreak.
• Future Monitoring:
  • The situation will be closely monitored for any changes in case numbers or necessity for increased vaccine production.