The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a Level 2 Travel Health Notice for Liberia warning travelers of a Monkeypox (Mpox) Type 2 outbreak and calling for enhanced precautions.
According to official reports, since September 2024, Liberia has recorded about 2,447 suspected cases, with local spread observed between the type IIa and IIb strains through direct and intimate contact, where men and women are affected similarly. Health authorities also indicated cross-border links with neighboring Sierra Leone, which raises fears that the scope of the outbreak will expand regionally.
In the face of the crisis, the Liberian Ministry of Health, in cooperation with the World Health Organization and the African Center for Disease Control, launched a national vaccination campaign aimed at administering 42,720 doses of the JYNNEOS® vaccine to the most vulnerable groups by the end of this January.
The CDC calls on travelers to review this notice and consider getting vaccinated before traveling, especially if they plan to engage in activities that may increase the risk of infection. It is noteworthy that Liberia received about 80,000 international tourists last year, making the current outbreak a health issue with international dimensions.
