The fact that the WHO (World Health Organization) declared a state of emergency for mpox, or better known as monkey pox, caused a post by the Minister of Health, Adonis Georgiadis, in which he refers to vaccination for the disease in our country.

“In the context of prevention, from July 22, 2024, vaccination against smallpox type mpox is available. Smallpox type mpox is a rare viral infection caused by infection with the mpox virus. The mpox virus is genetically similar to the smallpox virus, but less contagious and with milder symptoms.

Human-to-human transmission takes place through contact with skin lesions/bodily fluids of the patient and/or contaminated objects, as well as through respiratory droplets, after prolonged close contact at a short distance”, the Minister of Health states in his post – among other things – .

It is worth noting that according to the WHO, this year there is a 160% increase in mpox cases with a new – deadlier – strain of the virus. As of January 2022, a total of 38,465 cases have been recorded in 16 African countries and 1,456 people have died.

For whom the vaccine is recommended

In his post, Mr. Georgiadis points out that “the Jynneos vaccine (for mpox) is recommended for people aged 18 years and older who are at high risk of mpox infection and belong to the following high-risk categories:

“Men who have sex with men (MSM), men who have sex with men and women, and transgender people. All people from the above groups are considered to be at increased risk if they have a recent history of multiple sexual partners, i.e. those who have more than 5 casual partners or have been infected with a sexually transmitted disease (at least one) in the last 3 months.

  • Healthcare professionals who work in areas with a high risk of exposure to the mpox virus (eg laboratories, special units).
  • People who have had close physical contact with a confirmed case of the mpox virus within 4 to 14 days after exposure, as long as they have not developed symptoms, regardless of gender.
  • People who have frequent and close contact with the previous categories.

Among the people who belong to the above categories, the vaccination of immunosuppressed people is particularly important.”

It should be noted that it is not necessary to declare the specific group to which the interested parties belong when they come for vaccination against mpox, emphasizes the Minister of Health at the end of his post.

For more information at EODY.