A large majority of MPs have told health minister Fleur Agema that she must send some 13,000 Mpox vaccines to Africa immediately, despite her objections to the plan.

The entire opposition plus coalition party NSC voted in favour of a D66 motion to push through the shipment of vaccines which are close to their expiry date.

Agema, a minister on behalf of the PVV, had refused to donate any of the Netherlands 100,000 dose stockpile, saying it is needed to protect people in the Netherlands if the virus arrives here. The public health agency RIVM had also urged the minister to make the donation.

Agema said later she would donate some vaccines if a majority of MPs asked her to do so.

The cabinet is also making €3 million in additional funding available to help the World Health Organisation’s campaign to combat Mpox in parts of Africa.