Stefan De Keersmaecker, European Commission Health Spokesperson, stated that the European Health Emergency Response Authority is (HERA) “working with Member States to procure vaccines or treatments for monkey pox.”
Spain indicated already that it plans to purchase Imvanex vaccines as well as Tecovirimat antivirals via a group purchase with the European Union.
Imvanex, a third-generation vaccine from the Bavarian Nordic Laboratory, is indicated against smallpox for adults and is authorized in Europe since 2013.
According to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control’s (ECDC) report, the number of monkeypox confirmed cases in the world reached 219 on Wednesday. This is outside the countries where the disease has an endemic.
The bulk of confirmed cases are currently concentrated in three countries: the United Kingdom (71 cases), Spain (59), and Portugal (37) according to the ECDC.
Already, the EU played a key role in the purchase of millions of anti-covid vaccinations for its member countries. De Keersmaecker says that the situation with monkeypox is very different. Monkeypox vaccinations will be restricted to very specific cases because the risk and transmissibility of the virus are not the same as that of Covid-19.
Monday’s ECDC report stated that the possibility of contagion among the general population was “very low”, but that it was higher in those with multiple sexual partners.
This disease is an endemic cousin to smallpox and has been eradicated in about 40 years. It’s currently endemic in 11 West African countries and Central Africa. The disease starts with a fever, but quickly progresses to a rash and the formation of scabs.
