Monkey pox: towards an extension of vaccination in Belgium
While the World Health Organization has called for reducing the risk by reducing the number of partners, gay or transgender sex workers as well as people being treated for HIV can receive the vaccine.
By A.-SL (with S.Dx)
After having placed the smallpox epidemic of the sign under the highest health alert threshold, the WHO recorded in the past two days the first three deaths linked to the disease outside the African continent and said to expect a rise in deaths in Europe, the epicenter of the epidemic. Faced with the surge in cases that mainly affect men who have sex with men, the WHO on Wednesday advised this group of people to reduce the number of their sexual partners “for the time being”. The WHO insists at the same time on the need to avoid any stigmatization of a specific community, which could lead its members to hide the disease, not to seek treatment and continue to spread.
More than 18,000 cases of monkeypox have been detected in 78 countries since early May outside endemic areas in Africa. Europe is the epicenter of the epidemic: 70% of cases are concentrated in Europe (and 25% in the Americas). Eight people have died of the disease, 5 in Africa and now three outside this continent. About 10% of cases undergoing hospital admission to try to alleviate the pain that patients are experiencing.
What about the vaccine?
As for the availability of doses of the vaccine from the Danish laboratory Bavarian Nordic, it will not be for now… Most of the 16 million doses are in bulk and it will take several months for them to be packaged in vials ready for use. ‘use. Belgium currently has 3,000 doses and expects 30,000 by the fall. Given the state of stocks, very strict conditions have been decided for access to the vaccine. Asked about RTL / TVI, Professor Yves Van Laethem, member of the Superior Health Council, however announced that vaccination would be extended this week to four priority groups: homosexual or transgender sex workers, male homosexuals who have had sexually transmitted diseases who either carry HIV or take medication to prevent acquiring the virus during sex.
Vaccination is carried out with two doses, spaced at least 28 days apart. For people vaccinated against smallpox in childhood, one dose is enough. For the immunocompromised a third dose is recommended.