Existing vaccines provide strong protection

ACAM2000 is a vaccine created for smallpox, but it also has cross-coverage with monkeypox. This vaccine is approved for people over the age of 18 who are at high risk of smallpox infection. In the case of monkeypox, this same vaccine could be “used in people exposed to monkeypox when used under the Extended Access Investigational New Drug Protocol.” CDC..

Most recently, the FDA has approved JYNNEOS To prevent the spread of both monkeypox and smallpox.

This vaccine approved Helps prevent the virus in adults over the age of 18 who are at high risk of infection. It is given as a two-dose regimen at 4-week intervals.

“JYNNEOS is at least 85% effective in preventing monkeypox and is expected to be even more effective in preventing severe monkeypox,” he said. Dr. Amesh AdalyaJohns Hopkins Center for Health Security Senior Scholar.

Although not directly studied in pregnant humans, animal studies in rabbits have shown that this vaccine has no evidence of harm to the developing fetus. However, it is unclear whether this vaccine is safe for breastfeeding.

Schaffner explains that both vaccines can be used after exposure to prevent severe illness.

“If you administer it early enough after exposure, you can either stop the infection altogether or significantly reduce its severity,” he says.

To prevent the onset of the disease, the first dose should be given within the first 4 days of exposure, while 4-14 days after exposure will help alleviate the symptoms, but prevent the disease. I can not do it.

Both vaccines help prevent and manage monkeypox, but Adalja says that the JYNNEOS vaccine has fewer side effects and is “safer than ACAM2000 in certain populations” and is likely to choose between the two vaccines. It states.

“In this outbreak, a vaccine has been deployed to close contact with individuals with confirmed cases of monkeypox,” Adalja told Healthline.

The UK currently offers vaccines, but not the general public. We are currently providing vaccines to isolate people who have been confirmed to be infected and to close their contacts to prevent the spread of the infection.

Schaffner told Healthline that “many European countries are likely to reach out to them for supply,” JYNNEOS manufacturers are actively producing vaccines.

Other manufacturers, such as Tonix Pharmaceutical, are developing new ways to vaccinate the general public against the poxvirus, but these vaccines are still under development.

Besides vaccines, there are other measures you can take to prevent monkeypox. According to the CDC..

Avoiding people with known monkeypox is the first step someone can take to avoid the virus. Similarly, if you know someone who may have been exposed, avoid close or intimate contact until the incubation period of up to 3 weeks has passed.

As with most bacteria and viruses, hand hygiene after contact with infected animals and humans is important. This includes washing your hands with soap and warm water, or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

You can avoid contact with animals that may have been exposed to the virus or found dead in areas where monkeypox is endemic. In addition, avoid contact with materials such as bedding that have touched sick animals with monkeypox.

Health professionals continue to monitor the epidemic of monkeypox. The number of cases of monkeypox is increasing and strong vaccines are available, but no mass vaccination is required at this time.

Monkeypox is an endemic virus in West Africa and Central Africa and is part of the same family of viruses that cause smallpox and cowpox.

However, despite being a rare virus, it has occurred in the United States in the past. Last year, there were two travel-related cases of monkeypox from Nigeria, USA. 47 cases in 2003..

according to World Health Organization, Monkeypox has two clade, or morphology. West Africa and the Congo Basin, Central Africa. The case fatality rate of the Central African clade is 10%, and the case fatality rate of the West African clade is less than 1%.

Most people experience mild symptoms and resolve without complications, but children, the elderly, and people with immunodeficiency are most likely to die or have a debilitating illness from the virus.

Both can cause serious side effects, but West African clade, or milder morphology, is the strain responsible for this outbreak.

Dr. Rajiv Bahl is an emergency physician, board member of the Florida College of Emergency Physicians, and a health writer.You can find him RajivBahlMD.com..