Mpox vaccines are finally trickling into Africa after having been available in non-endemic, high-income countries for more than 2 years. Yet, they will have limited impact in stemming the ongoing outbreaks of monkeypox virus on the continent if people refuse them. An online survey of 1832 adults in six African countries, published in eClinicalMedicine, reported with high heterogeneity that 32·7% of respondents would be hesitant to receive an mpox vaccine, and 38·9% of parents would be hesitant to have their children vaccinated.