The World Health Organization (WHO) just declared the monkeypox disease outbreak a global health concern that could open up more resources and information sharing between countries to help combat the once rare virus.
But even before that, affected countries have been looking into vaccines for preventive healthcare. The Netherlands announced that they have started giving out the first dose of the Imnavex vaccine to high-risk groups living in Amsterdam and The Hague.
A medical professional prepares a dose of the monkeypox vaccine on July 23, 2022 in London, England. The NHS is expanding its monkeypox vaccine rollout in London as monkeypox cases continue to increase in the capital. Monkeypox, a rare disease, is part of the same family of viruses as smallpox.
Netherlands Begins First Dose of Vaccine Against Monkeypox Virus
Health authorities in the Netherlands' National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) said on Monday, July 25, that they had begun vaccination against the monkeypox virus for high-risk individuals. Anadolu Agency reported that vaccination is only possible for those who received a personal invitation from the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) or the HIV center.
The country has recorded 712 monkeypox cases as of Thursday, July 21, and the numbers seem to be increasing quickly in the past few weeks. Most monkeypox patients were men who have sex with men (MSM), so GGDs first invited them, HIV-positive transgender people, and those who are taking medications to prevent HIV.
In Amsterdam, 50 people will be vaccinated on the first day and 100 people will receive the jab in the following days. Most of the 32,000 people they target to vaccinate are MSM and transgender individuals.
The vaccine will be administered in two doses, wherein the second dose will be given four weeks after the first dose. For now, there are 70,000 Imnavex vaccines from the Danish pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic that the European Medicines Agency recently approved.
People who belong to the high-risk groups include healthcare workers, commercial sex workers, household members, and other close contacts. They are advised to get vaccinated to prevent contracting the monkeypox virus.
People at the highest risk of severe diseases include young children, pregnant women, immunocompromised individuals, and those with pre-existing conditions. They are the ones that need to be especially protected to prevent infection.
Monkeypox Vaccination in the US
The Imvanex vaccine by Bavarian Nordic is being sold as the JYNNEOS vaccine in the US, approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is used to provide preventive healthcare for Americans against the monkeypox virus.
JYNNEOS vaccine is administered before exposure to the virus to help protect the person. According to the website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the US has a limited supply of the JYNNEOS vaccine, which is solely distributed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Massachusetts was initially given 2,004 doses on July 5, but more vaccines are expected to come soon. Like in the Netherlands, vaccination will be available to individuals who meet the eligibility criteria to prioritize those most at risk of exposure.
These individuals include known contacts identified by public health via contact tracing, case investigation, and risk exposure assessments. More so, it includes presumed contacts who know that their sexual partner was diagnosed with monkeypox virus in the past 14 days and had multiple sexual partners in the past two weeks with known monkeypox disease.
The US will expand eligibility for monkeypox vaccination as soon as more doses arrive from the CDC. Vaccination schedules in Massachusetts are listed on their website.
RELATED ARTICLE: New York City Opens Pop-up Mass Vaccination Sites to Provide Monkeypox Vaccine to Residents
Check out more news and information on Monkeypox in Science Times.
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