The World Health Organization does not believe that the monkey pox epidemic - outside of Africa - requires mass vaccination, as measures such as hygiene and safe sexual behavior will help control its spread.
WHO reassures: there is no need for mass vaccination for monkey pox
Published May 24, 2022 10:21
Fot. Getty Images/iStockphoto
Richard Pebody, who heads the high-risk pathogen team at WHO Europe, said immediate shipments of vaccines and antiviral drugs are relatively limited. His comment came when the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that it was in the process of introducing a limited number of Jynneos for use in monkey pox cases.
The German government said it is considering vaccination options, while the UK has already offered them to some health care workers. Public health authorities in Europe and North America analyze more than 100 suspected and confirmed cases of viral infection outside of Africa. The primary measures to control the epidemic are contact tracing and isolation, Pebody said, noting that it is not a virus that spreads easily, nor has it caused serious disease so far. He added that the vaccines used to combat monkey pox may have some significant side effects.
It is unclear what is driving the epidemic as scientists are trying to understand where the infections came from and whether something has changed in the structure of the virus. So far, there is no evidence that it has mutated.
Many people diagnosed with monkey pox are men who have sex with men (MSM). Most of the confirmed cases were not related to travel to Africa, suggesting there could be large amounts of undetected cases, Pebody said. Given the pace of the outbreak and the lack of clarity as to what's driving it, there is a risk that massive events this summer could make things worse.
Source: Reuters
