Monkeypox: What you need to know about vaccines, tests and treatments

As the outbreak of monkeypox continues to spread across the United States, health experts say the expansion of testing, vaccination, and treatment is important to control the disease. However, these important tools are not yet widely available and it can be difficult to find access to medicines that may be diagnosed and improve symptoms.

The US Public Health Message on Personal Risk and Access to Care includes Not always clearClinic conducting tests and health department staff following up patients Often missing Adjustment; for vaccine distribution Late; And treatment options Remain ambiguous..

To further complicate matters, the symptoms of monkeypox may vary. People who get sick do not always have the traditional fever, pain, and generalized rash.Many patients have developed Only a few acne, Mainly in the genital area.And according to health officials, the disease is predominantly Men having sex with men..

Prevention remains important, but we asked experts to explain the steps needed to get vaccinated, tested, and treated if an infection is suspected or if you have recently been exposed to monkeypox.

Who is eligible for the vaccine? And where can I get it?

Originally developed for smallpox and stored in the US national stockpile, the two vaccines help prevent monkeypox infection. The most commonly used monkeypox is called Jynneos. It consists of two doses given at 4-week intervals. However, its supply is limited and controlled by the federal government, so it is not widely available to the general public. Instead, the vaccine is primarily provided to two groups of people: healthcare workers or laboratory workers who may handle infected samples, and people who have been confirmed or suspected of being exposed to monkeypox.

Vaccines can work even if given after someone has been exposed, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people be vaccinated. Within 4 days from the date of exposure For the best chance to prevent monkeypox. You can schedule vaccine appointments through your local or state health department.

Injections can be given within 2 weeks of exposure to relieve symptoms, but vaccination more than 4 days after exposure does not prevent the onset of the disease.

Dr. Charone Green, an infectious disease expert at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (Worcester), said: She said individuals, whether before or after exposure, are generally considered to be fully protected two weeks after receiving the second dose.However, some researchers suggest that a single dose of Jynneos may also help. Delay the spread of monkeypox..

Some states with high cases of monkeypox have expanded their vaccination eligibility criteria to include those at high risk of vaccination. For example, in New York and New Jersey, if you attend an event that has a known Monkey Vaccine exposure, or if you are gay, bisexual, or a man having sex with another man, transgender, gender incompatible, or non-binary. You can also get the vaccine if you do. Or you have multiple sex partners or anonymous partners within the last 14 days.However, it can be difficult to get a vaccine appointment as the distribution has reached Some obstacles and delays..

When do I need to take the test?

Experts agree that vaccination and prevention should be prioritized to slow the pace of current outbreaks. However, if you start to notice red lesions, acne, or pustules, contact your GP and let your doctor know that you are suspected of having monkeypox infection. Your doctor will wipe the lesions and order a monkeypox test for you. You can also be tested through an emergency health center, sexual health clinic, or other health care provider.

This test is a polymerase chain reaction (PCR), much like the case of Covid-19, which detects some of the genetic material in the virus. However, testing capacity is still limited. Samples can only be sent to a public health laboratory or one of five commercial laboratories for analysis. Also, the time required has improved, but results can take 24 hours to 3 days or more.

There is no home test for monkeypox. Dr. William Morris, chair of the Mayo Clinic’s Department of Experimental Medicine and Pathology and president of the Mayo Clinic Institute, said the clinic also needed swab lesions to perform salpox tests. One of the commercially available monkeypox diagnostic tests. If there are no symptoms, or if there are only fever and flu-like symptoms, there is still no way to test monkeypox, Dr. Morris said.

Another problem is that some healthcare professionals may not or may not be aware of monkeypox when the patient comes for diagnosis. Monkeypox lesions, especially in the genital area, can be very similar to the symptoms of more common illnesses such as herpes and syphilis.

“If the lesion looks like monkeypox, people need to test it,” said Dr. Bernard Camins, medical director of infection prevention at Mount Sinai Health System.

Finally, some healthcare professionals may not know how contagious the lesion is. “I’ve heard case reports of patients turning their backs,” said Dr. Camins. “People have never seen this disease, you know, and there is a fear of the unknown. However, because monkeypox medical infections are so rare, health care workers As long as you wear the proper personal protective equipment, you don’t have to worry about monkeypox working. “

What is the process of getting treatment for monkeypox?

After being diagnosed, treatment of monkeypox involves primarily symptom management, Dr. Cummins said.Patients with anal or rectal lesions may experience a lot of pain, especially during defecation, in which case the doctor may prescribe painkillers or recommend a stool softener and a shallow one. Seat bath, Used to relieve genital pain and itching, he said. Patients with pain in the mouth may have difficulty swallowing and can take medications to help with it. Some people develop secondary bacterial infections that may require treatment with antibiotics. This is especially true if you have wide open lesions.

Antiviral drugs such as tecovirimat and TPOXX are usually recommended only for people who have a lot of systemic symptoms and systemic rashes and are at high risk of complications from monkeypox. Doctors have to demand medicine from government stockpiles, Fill out a wide range of documents Obtain informed consent of the patient to receive treatment.

“It’s not a drug on the shelves of pharmacies or clinics,” said Dr. Sandrosinty, an infectious disease doctor at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Patients should, regardless of whether they can receive antiviral treatment Quarantine at home As soon as they develop the symptoms of monkeypox. Similar to Covid-19, avoid close contact with friends, family and pets, cover all skin rashes as much as possible, and high quality mask if you need to contact others for medical purposes Must be worn. The CDC recommends limiting exposure to others and quarantining until the lesion is completely healed. You leave the forest only after the lesion has become a scab, the scab has fallen, and a fresh layer of intact skin has formed. And that can take a long time — somewhere between two and four weeks.

“It puts us in a real dilemma,” said Dr. Cummins. Health professionals can expect people to have the necessary illness days and work from home, but expect that all infected people will be able to strictly follow these guidelines. It’s unrealistic. “That’s why it’s even more important for people to be aware of and be aware of the spread of the virus.”