Sept 13 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization said

on Friday it had cleared Bavarian Nordic's ( BVNKF ) vaccine as

the first shot against mpox.

The approval, known as a pre-qualification, is an official

list of medicines used as a benchmark for procurement by

developing countries.

"This first prequalification of a vaccine against mpox

is an important step in our fight against the disease, both in

the context of the current outbreaks in Africa, and in future,"

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

Mpox, a viral infection that spreads through close

contact and is usually mild but can kill, was declared a public

emergency of international concern by the WHO last month.