The World Health Organization has authorized the first mpox vaccine for children. Experts hope it will help make immunizations more widely available to one of the hardest-hit populations during the ongoing outbreaks of the disease in Congo and elsewhere in Africa. The U.N. health agency late Tuesday said it had approved the mpox vaccine made by Japanese company KM Biologics for use in people over 1 year of age. Earlier this month, the charity Save the Children said cases among children younger than 18 had increased by more than 130% in Congo, noting there were now more than 25,000 suspect cases.
