Bavarian Nordic, a vaccine manufacturer, experienced a surge in its stock this week following the World Health Organization’s (WHO) declaration of a public health emergency due to a monkeypox outbreak. The CEO of Bavarian Nordic, Paul Chaplin, announced that the company could provide 10 million doses of the vaccine, but emphasized the need for orders to fulfill the demand. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) had previously stated that they required 10 million doses to combat the outbreak, which has spread from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to other African nations.
Health officials, including the WHO, have expressed concern about the severity of this strain of monkeypox compared to the variant responsible for a global outbreak in 2022 and 2023. In an interview, Chaplin revealed that his company already had 300,000 doses of the vaccine ready for distribution, with the potential to provide 2 million doses to Africa by the end of 2024. However, he stressed the urgency of decision-making given the time constraints. As a result, Bavarian Nordic’s stock has increased by approximately 49 percent over the past five days, reaching $14.11 per share as of Friday afternoon.
In addition to the surge in stock prices, Bavarian Nordic has submitted vaccine-related data to the European Union health regulator to expand the use of its vaccine to cover children aged 12 to 17. Chaplin highlighted the vulnerability of children and adolescents in the ongoing African outbreak and the importance of broadening access to vaccines and therapies for this population.
Another company, Emergent BioSolutions, which acquired a smallpox vaccine manufacturer in 2017, also experienced a 54 percent increase in stock prices over the past five days, reaching $10.64 per share. The current monkeypox outbreak in Congo has resulted in approximately 27,000 cases and over 1,100 deaths, with children being the most affected demographic since the outbreak began in January 2023.
The WHO’s declaration of a public health emergency of international concern signifies the severity of the disease’s spread and aims to mobilize international cooperation and funding to combat the outbreak. This declaration, similar to previous ones for the 2022-2023 monkeypox outbreak, COVID-19 in 2020, and other pathogens since 2005, is crucial in coordinating efforts to tackle the disease.
The Africa CDC and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have also issued alerts regarding monkeypox. The CDC alerted healthcare professionals to be vigilant for symptoms of monkeypox, although no cases have been detected in the United States thus far. However, Sweden recently reported its first case of the more severe strain of monkeypox outside of Africa, known as clade I.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has raised its risk assessment for imported cases of monkeypox in Europe, but has stated that the risk of transmission remains low. Monkeypox is a viral infection that causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions, with the potential to be fatal. Certain individuals, such as children, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems, are at higher risk for complications. The virus spreads through close contact and is classified into clades I and II, with clade I being associated with the more severe form of the virus.
In conclusion, the recent spike in Bavarian Nordic’s stock can be attributed to the WHO’s declaration of a public health emergency and the increased demand for the company’s monkeypox vaccine. The severity of the current strain compared to previous outbreaks has raised concerns among health officials. The urgent need for orders and the expansion of vaccine coverage to include children have been emphasized by Bavarian Nordic’s CEO. It is crucial for international cooperation and funding to address this outbreak effectively.
