The World Health Organization (WHO) will convene an emergency committee on Thursday next week to assess whether the monkeypox outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern.
This is the highest level of alert issued by the United Nations (UN) agency, which currently only applies to the Covid-19 pandemic and polio.
According to the WHO, this year there have been 1,600 confirmed and 1,500 suspected cases of monkeypox in 39 countries, including those where the virus is commonly spread.
Monkeypox is endemic in parts of Africa, but there have been more cases in those countries and the rest of the world. The virus causes flu-like symptoms and skin lesions and is spread through close contact.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it was time to consider stepping up the response because the virus is behaving unusually, more countries are affected and there is a need for international coordination.
“We don’t want to wait until the situation is out of control,” said WHO emergencies director for Africa, Ibrahima Socé Fall.
European Union buys 100,000 vaccines
This Tuesday (14), the European Commission and the Danish laboratory Bavarian Nordic announced that they have closed a contract for the purchase of more than 100,000 doses of vaccine against monkeypox, detected in 19 member countries, in addition to Norway and Iceland.
The agreement refers to the sale of 109,090 doses to European countries, the commission said in a statement. It is inspired by the collective purchases of anti-C ovid vaccines, although the quantities are much smaller.
Marketed under the name Imvanex in Europe, Jynneos in the United States and Imvamune in Canada, it is a third-generation vaccine (does not replicate in the human body) authorized in Europe since 2013 and indicated against smallpox in adults.
The European medicines regulator (EMA) announced in early June that it had begun negotiations with Bavarian Nordic to eventually expand its use against monkeypox.
Chad-98Weaver, a distinguished author at NewsBulletin247, excels in the craft of article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a penchant for storytelling, Chad delivers informative and engaging content that resonates with readers across various subjects. His contributions are a testament to his dedication and expertise in the field of journalism.
