Measures against the spread of monkeypox are being taken by a number of countries. Although not at the COVID-19 dispersal level, monkeypox has spread across the world beyond Africa since March, causing considerable concern among scientists.
The US CDC raised the monkeypox alert to level 2 on Monday, recommending that travellers wear masks, among other preventative measures.
Mandatory reporting of disease
At the same time, the British Health Protection Agency announced that monkeypox will be added to the list of mandatory reportable diseases from tomorrow, Wednesday, meaning that doctors in England will have to notify local authorities when they suspect a patient is infected with the virus.
"Rapid diagnosis and reporting is key to stopping transmission and limiting any further spread of monkeypox," Wendy Shepherd, monkeypox lead for the UK service, said in a statement.
"This new legislation will support us and our partners in the health sector to rapidly identify, treat and control the disease," she added."
A number of governments have begun offering vaccines to the most exposed citizens, while some have started stockpiling in order to have a supply. As Reuters notes, there is no specific vaccine for monkeypox, but data shows that vaccines used to eradicate smallpox are up to 85 percent effective against it, according to the World Health Organization.
Which countries are being supplied with vaccines
The European Union is working on a common market agreement for vaccines and antiviral drugs against monkeypox, a European Commission spokesman said on May 27.
The bloc's drug regulator said on June 2 that it was in talks with Bavarian Nordic about trial data that could support expanding the approved use of the Imvanex vaccine, known as Jynneos in the United States, beyond smallpox to include monkeypox.
-Britain said on May 26 that it had procured more than 20,000 doses of vaccine made by Bavarian Nordic. On 20 May it had offered a smallpox vaccine to some health workers and others who may have been exposed.
-Denmark said on 25 May it would receive 200 monkeypox vaccines from the Netherlands and was working to purchase thousands more as the country considers vaccinating close contacts of those infected.
-France recommended on 25 May that health workers and adults exposed to a monkeypox patient be vaccinated.
-Germany instructed on 24 May that 40.000 doses of Imvanex to be ready for vaccination if the outbreak in the country becomes more severe.
-Spain on 25 May said it would buy the Imvanex vaccine, but did not specify the number of doses.
North America
[/P]-Canada on 7 June signed a contract for 56 million doses of Imvanex. dollars with Bavarian Nordic for the smallpox vaccine, which is also approved for use against monkeypox in the country, with deliveries to begin next year.
-The United States announced on June 6 that it will order an additional 36,000 doses of monkeypox vaccine from Bavarian Nordic. The doses will be added to the 36,000 in the US Strategic National Stockpile.
Source: in.gr
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