We’ve been saying this for weeks. The logistical problems — of getting refrigerated trucks to traverse (in many cases) a couple thousand miles of mostly dirt roads, or even deeply-rutted Jeep paths… is quite daunting.

So much so, that it is now likely that the actual vaccine vials will not reach the most remote areas of concern before September rolls into… October.

So as thrilled as I am about the “Childless Cat Lady’s” endorsement of Kamala Harris — and droll trolling of Tangerine (by that I mean to refer to Taylor Swift, along with her 280 million followers)… this is by far a more compelling story, from the Beeb:

…Medical staff on the front line of the battle against mpox in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have told the BBC they are desperate for vaccines to arrive so they can stem the rate of new infections. At a treatment centre in South Kivu province that the BBC visited in the epicentre of the outbreak, they say more patients are arriving every day — especially babies — and there is a shortage of essential equipment.

Mpox — formerly known as monkeypox — is a highly contagious disease and has killed at least 635 people in DR Congo this year. Even though 200,000 vaccines, donated by the European Commission, were flown into the capital, Kinshasa, last week, they are yet to be transported across this vast country — and it could be several weeks before they reach South Kivu….

The lack of infrastructure and bad roads mean that helicopters could possibly be used to drop some of the vaccines, which will further drive up costs in a country that is already struggling financially. At the community clinic, Dr Pacifique Karanzo appeared fatigued and downbeat having been rushed off his feet all morning. Although he wore a face shield, I could see the sweat running down his face. He said he was saddened to see patients sharing beds. “You will even see that the patients are sleeping on the floor,” he told me, clearly exasperated. “The only support we have already had is a little medicine for the patients and water. As far as other challenges are concerned, there’s still no staff motivation….”

As you enter Lwiro community hospital, which is about an hour’s drive north of South Kivu’s main city of Bukavu, two main things hit you. First the resounding and loud cries of babies. The second is the stench — a mix of urine and stagnant water.

The clinic is running out of clean water, meaning they have to ration what they have in the small jerrycans underneath their beds. Within the last three weeks, the clinic, which usually treats about 80 patients a month, has been inundated with nearly 200 patients — who are getting younger. “It’s sad to see my firstborn suffering from this strange disease. I have a lot of pain in my heart,” 18-year-old Faraja Rukara said….

Now you know. This is deeply troubling news. [Even so, it is said that Beyoncé, with about 320 million followers… is planning a big announcement event — for Harris/Walz, as we speak. It bothers me a little that celebrity endorsements mean so much to younger voters — but you have to meet people where they actually are, in their journey to becoming politically sophisticated. So, this too is good news.] Onward.

नमस्ते