UK launches vaccination as monkeypox spreads in Europe

Currently, there are a few cases of disease monkey pox has been confirmed in parts of Europe.

Monkeypox is a viral illness that is usually mild and is characterized by fever and a distinctive rough rash.

There are two strains monkey smallpox virus The main strains include the Congo strain (which causes more severe disease with a mortality rate of up to 10%) and the West African strain (with a mortality rate of about 1%).

First identified in monkeys, it is a viral disease that is usually spread by close contact and occurs mostly in West and Central Africa. Monkeypox rarely spreads elsewhere, so the series of new cases of monkeypox that have occurred outside the “black continent” have intrigued scientists and health professionals.

In the United Kingdom, nine cases of West African monkeypox have been reported to date.

There is no specific vaccine for monkeypox, but the smallpox vaccine may offer some protection, a spokesman for the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said.

According to the World Health Organization, data show that the smallpox vaccine is up to 85% effective against this disease.

A UKHSA spokesman added that a number of people had been vaccinated against smallpox, but did not disclose how many people had been vaccinated so far.

Several countries have stockpiled large quantities of smallpox vaccines as part of pandemic preparations, including the United States.

People with monkeypox often develop a rash that resembles chickenpox and smallpox. (Photo: Deutsche Welle)

On May 19, Bavarian Nordic pharmaceutical company headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark said it had signed a contract to supply Imvanex smallpox vaccine with a European country in response to the smallpox outbreak. monkey.

The first case in Europe was confirmed on May 7, in a person returning to the UK from Nigeria, where monkeypox is endemic.

Since then, Portugal has recorded 14 cases, while Spain confirmed seven. The US and Sweden have also reported one case each. Italian authorities have confirmed one case and two other suspected cases.

“We are concerned that many countries outside of Africa, especially in Europe, are seeing outbreaks of monkeypox,” said acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Africa Ahmed Ogwell Ouma says. “It would be helpful if knowledge about the origins of these outbreaks was shared.”

Meanwhile, in the UK, UKHSA emphasizes that recent cases in the country have mainly been in men who self-identify as gay, bisexual or men who have sex with men.

Jimmy Whitworth, professor of international public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, warned: “This disease will not cause a nationwide pandemic like COVID-19. But it is an outbreak. serious illness and we need to take it seriously.”

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