As the number of cases increased, countries across Europe began vaccination against monkeypox.
In the UK, we have already given 1,000 doses of vaccine to cases caring for people infected with the virus and high-risk close contact with healthcare professionals, and are ready to use an additional 3,500 doses. I am. France announced on Tuesday that it would immunize the same group of people to contain the outbreak.
With the COVID-19 pandemic ringing and calling public attention to the potential risk of infection, attention is being paid to whether monkeypox and those in need have sufficient vaccine doses. It is increasing. Only one vaccine is available in Europe to protect against monkeypox, and countries are already struggling to buy doses.
Rolf Sass Sørensen, Head of Investor Relations and Communications at Bavarian Nordic, Danish vaccine maker Imvanex, said: Currently, smallpox is approved in the EU and monkeypox is approved in the United States and Canada.
The European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) and the World Health Organization are also in talks with the company. Sorensen said. HERA is responsible for jointly procuring medicines for the EU in the event of a health emergency.
While urging countries to strengthen surveillance, contact tracing, and case management, the World Health Organization has hinted at the negative effects of drug and vaccine hoarding when cases are still relatively low in Europe. In the latest figures, the UK identified 70 cases by Tuesday, while the EU reported 67 cases by Monday.
The good news is that monkeypox vaccines and treatments have been approved, according to Sylvie Briand, who is responsible for the preparation and prevention of the WHO epidemic and pandemic. The bad news is that “they are in very limited quantities and some of them are not yet fully licensed to market.”
“We need to adopt a risk-based strategy,” Briand said at the World Health Assembly on Tuesday. “Don’t build a mountain from Mogura Hill here. Apply measures commensurate with your level of risk.”
She also urged countries to “cooperate” to ensure equitable access to vaccines, treatments and diagnoses, based on public health needs.
Not like COVID
Scientists are now optimistic that countries do not need a pandemic mass vaccination campaign. Because the viruses are very different.
“This is a different situation than COVID,” said Stathis Giotis, a lecturer in virology at the University of Essex and a senior researcher in virology at Imperial College London.
He said monkeypox is a known virus. It is a so-called DNA virus, which does not mutate as rapidly as RNA viruses such as coronavirus, and there are vaccines and treatments available. Moreover, unlike COVID, monkeypox does not spread by “easing control of the disease” by asymptomatic patients.
Many countries that have seen monkeypox outbreaks recommend that people quarantine for 21 days. The UK also advises that high-risk close contacts are isolated at the same time.
“Authorities need to be vigilant, but at this stage there is no evidence that a full-fledged immune program is needed to protect vulnerable groups,” Giotis said.
Meanwhile, the current vaccination policies adopted by the United Kingdom and France are rational public health measures to jab people at high risk of infection after close contact and care of health care workers. Experts said at a press conference on Tuesday.
This is “not a panic,” said Hugh Adler, an emeritus researcher at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, but it is a standard public health response to all infectious diseases and has been reproduced by other European countries. Is an approach. “That’s very wise,” he told the briefing.
Given that the majority of cases in the UK were men having sex with men, the next question of the Immunity Commission is to consider whether to vaccinate this community, London. Jake Danning, an infectious disease consultant at the Royal Free Hospital, said. Senior Clinical Researcher at Oxford University for Emerging and High Impact Infectious Diseases.
“The challenge is that we need data to communicate that kind of decision,” he told the briefing. “I don’t want to do unnecessary things for multiple reasons, but I also don’t want to be late enough to miss the boat. [to] Hopefully you can prevent many infections that you could have prevented. “
Vaccine supply management
Bavarian Nordic is confident that it will be able to deliver the doses it needs, even in the absence of a surge in urgent and acute demand.
“We can freeze-dry 8 million times and freeze 14 million times a year. [vaccine]”Sorensen said.
He stated that all vaccines have a shelf life of at least 3 years.
“Denmark has very large manufacturing opportunities … we can meet very large demands if needed,” he said.
Peter Piot, Special Advisor to the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, emailed POLITICO as follows, except for the unlikely event of a monkeypox epidemic. Told. Justified. “
Nevertheless, he added, “some stockpile is needed.”
Danish companies have been approached by many companies in offering manufacturing partnerships, but the Nordic countries of Bavarian have no plans to outlicense the production of monkeypox. “We can’t rule out license exclusions, but we’re not focusing on them at this time,” says Sørensen.
For public health authorities, this is currently a waiting game for observing the trajectory of case numbers.
“Are we just looking at the tip of the iceberg, or have we already gone through a surge in community communication?” Brian asked. “I encourage you to increase surveillance.”
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