Mass vaccination against monkeypox is not necessary, but the World Health Organization has recommended post-exposure vaccination, Rosamund Lewis, a specialist in this disease from the UN agency, assured at a press conference on Tuesday.
In this sense, Lewis reported that the WHO is working with the European Union, one of the most affected regions with 12,000 of the 16,000 reported cases, in the release of vaccines, as well as with other partners to determine a global coordination mechanism to the distribution of vaccines.
However, Hans Kluge, director of the Organization for Europe, said in another press conference that vaccines alone are not enough to stop the epidemic and that individuals who are at risk also need to take action.
The current monkeypox outbreak arose in Europe, which is now present in 37 countries in the region that also includes Central Asia. The first countries to notify the cases were the United Kingdom, Spain and Portugal. The outbreak is especially focused on men who have sex with men, with a median age of 37.
The current recommendation for people with monkeypox is isolate themselves and not travel until they recover; contact cases should monitor their temperature and monitor for other possible symptoms for 9 to 21 days.
The current figure is about 16,000 confirmed cases worldwide and so far about 81 children under the age of 17 have been reported to have been infected.
infected first
For Lewis, the distribution of the vaccine must be done according to public health needscountry by country and place by place: “Anyone who has been exposed to someone with monkeypox should get vaccinated first.”
Dr. Lewis explained that there are currently some 16.4 million vaccines in stock. She also mentioned that historically, smallpox vaccines had been very effective against monkeypox, but were now more attenuated. In that sense, she recalled that after 1980 no country had administered smallpox vaccines, which were known to be very potent and offer long-term immunity. The countries that produce vaccines are Denmark, Japan and the United States.
“Countries with the capacity to manufacture smallpox and monkeypox diagnostics, vaccines or therapies should increase the production and availability of medical countermeasures”, assured the specialist, who added that countries and manufacturers should collaborate with the WHO to ensure that diagnostics, vaccines, treatments and other necessary supplies are available based on public health needs.
Lewies stressed that they should do it “jointly and at a reasonable cost to countries where they are most needed to support efforts to stop the spread of monkeypox.”
In addition, he commented that although studies on the compatibility of the COVID-19 and monkeypox vaccines have not been conducted, giving different vaccines at the same time means strengthening different parts of the immune system.
CDC
Microscope image of a skin lesion caused by the monkeypox virus
Concern about the situation in Brazil
In response to a question from journalists, Dr. Lewis said that the situation in Brazil was worrying, and that the authorities should take into account the international public health emergency alert that the World Health Organization declared on Saturday regarding monkeypox and “act accordingly.”
Monkeypox is, in general, a disease that is not life-threatening in healthy people. The disease is best known in African countries, where it has been observed for decades, and where deaths have been reported occasionally, five so far this year, including in children and the elderly, as well as in people with underlying illnesses.
Nevertheless, monkeypox can cause a number of signs and symptoms, including painful sores. Some people who develop severe symptoms may need care in health facilities. Those most at risk of serious illness or complications include pregnant women, children, and people who are immunocompromised.
© CDC
Monkeypox causes skin lesions, fever, and body aches in people affected by the virus.
Recommendations:
The general manager for Europe said that he had a series of recommendations for different groups of people. For example, to health providers recommended them:
- Eliminate all barriers that prevent testing, medical care or vaccination. Any barrier, no matter how big or small, will act to prevent patients from showing up.
- Provide clear information on how to access health care, giving patients certified medical leave for the duration of the infectious period so they can self-isolate as needed
- Be aware of what to look for. The presentation of cases may be atypical, so one must be alert to the possibility of monkeypox in the evaluation of any patient, in particular, but not only, men who have sex with men, and not only men. patients with a history of travel to areas where monkeypox is known to be spreading
- Remove any judgment or stigma in the patient’s journey; the lessons of HIV/AIDS must not be forgotten
To people who are currently most at riskmeaning men who have sex with men and especially those with multiple sexual partners, recommended:
- Be informed: we know how the disease spreads, and what can be done to protect yourself
- Consider limiting your partners and sexual interactions at this time. It can be a harsh message, but exercising caution can safeguard you and your community at large
- Although vaccination may be available for some people at higher risk of exposure, it is not a silver bullet, and we still ask that you take steps to lower that risk for now.
- If you have or think you have monkeypox, you are infectious, so do everything you can to prevent the spread of the disease. Isolate yourself if you can, don’t have sex while you recover, and don’t attend parties or large gatherings where there is close contact
To health ministries and public health authoritieseven in countries that have not yet reported any cases, Kluge recommended that they:
- Significantly and rapidly increase national capacities for monkeypox surveillance, investigation, diagnosis, and contact tracing to help identify and trace all possible cases. Many cases are likely to go undetected, further fueling the outbreak
- Really engage with at-risk groups and communities and their leaders – including organizers of community events like Summer Pride parties – to develop and deliver critical messages to reduce transmission and encourage uptake of health services
- Don’t waste your precious time and resources. Urgently find ways to address the realities of this outbreak and ensure the response is focused on stopping transmission in the groups and settings where it is occurring or is likely to occur
compelling need to collaborate
Finally, he pointed out to governments across Europe and Central Asia that there is a compelling need for inter-regional collaboration, based on political will, to generate the evidence to support and direct the use of monkeypox vaccines and antivirals. populations at higher risk of infection.
“Countries must adhere to the principles of equity, helping to ensure that vaccines and antivirals reach those who need them most, rather than stockpiling supplies and acting on their own, actions that are only detrimental to the public good at large, as we have seen during the response to COVID-19”, he concluded.
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