Monkeypox: Vaccines and treatments needed to fight the virus.Read here

Public health authorities use contact tracing, quarantine, and targeted vaccination to control the spread of monkeypox.

Here’s what we know about the existing range of vaccines and treatments:

vaccination

According to the World Health Organization, the first generation of smallpox vaccines appear to be up to 85% effective in preventing monkeypox due to the close association of both viruses.

Currently, two smallpox vaccines are available: 1) Jynneos / Imvamune / Imvanex from Bavarian Nordic and 2) ACAM2000 from Emergent Biosolutions.

Jynneos / Imvamune or Imvanex The Danish company Bavarian Nordic is closely associated with the virus that causes smallpox and monkeypox, but contains a weakened form of the less harmful vaccinia virus. This modified version of Vaccinia does not cause disease in humans and cannot reproduce in human cells.

It has US approval for the prevention of both smallpox and monkeypox. European Union approval is for smallpox, but physicians can make off-label prescriptions for monkeypox. Bayern Nordic said it would apply for a label extension with the EU drug watchdog, perhaps to include monkeypox.

Side effects: Reported side effects include pain and swelling at the injection site, headache and malaise.

ACAM2000: Relatively Old vaccine. It also contains the vaccinia virus, but it is infectious and can be replicated to humans. As a result, vaccinated people can infect unvaccinated people who are in close contact with the site of vaccination.

ACAM2000 is approved in the United States for people at high risk of smallpox infection. There is no EU approval.

Side effects: Apart from the side effects associated with many vaccines, such as arm pain and malaise, it gives serious warnings about possible serious complications such as heart inflammation, blindness and death.

It is also not designed for use with certain groups of people, such as those with weakened immunity.

Symptoms of monkeypox

Most monkeypox patients experience only fever, body aches, chills, and malaise. People with more serious illnesses have rashes and lesions on their faces and hands that can spread to other parts of the body.

Most people recover within about 2-4 weeks without the need for hospitalization. Monkeypox is fatal in up to 6% of cases and is considered to be more severe in children.

Antiviral agent

Patients may receive extra fluid and treatment due to secondary bacterial infections. An antiviral agent called tecovirimat (branded as TPOXX and manufactured by SIGA Technologies) has been approved by the US and EU for smallpox, but European approval also includes monkeypox and cowpox. increase.

Another drug, branded as Tembexa and developed by Chimerix, has US approval for the treatment of smallpox. It is not clear if it can help people infected with monkeypox.

Both TPOXX and Tembexa were approved based on studies in animals that were shown to be likely to be effective because they were developed after human smallpox was eradicated by high-dose vaccination.

Stockpile

Although WHO classified smallpox as an eradicated disease in 1980, there have been long-standing concerns that the virus could be used as a biological weapon and that countries could stockpile vaccines.

WHO holds 2.4 million doses at its headquarters in Switzerland, dating back to the final year of the eradication program. Authorities also have a pledge from the donor country for more than 31 million additional doses.

U.S. officials say the country has more than 1,000 doses of the Bavarian Scandinavian vaccine in its stockpile and expects its levels to rise very rapidly in the coming weeks. The country also has a dose of 100 million for ACAM2000.

Germany states that it has ordered 40,000 vaccinations with Bavarian Nordic to prepare the case contacts for vaccination as needed.

Other countries, including the United Kingdom and France, also provide or recommend vaccines to infected people and those in close contact with health care workers.

Bavarian Nordic, with an annual production capacity of 30 million times, told Reuters that several countries are interested in buying vaccines, without giving details. A spokesman said there was no need to increase production.