The World Health Organization (WHO) today reiterated its recommendation not to carry out mass vaccinations against monkeypox, despite the increase in cases in non-endemic countries, which have led, for example, the European Union (EU) to process the purchase of 110,000 doses of vaccines against this disease.
“Mass vaccination is neither necessary nor recommended at the moment,” highlighted a WHO evaluation report, which indicated that control of the outbreak rests mainly on the surveillance of new cases, their isolation and contact tracing. with those affected.
The WHO stressed that vaccines against conventional smallpox (a disease eradicated in the world in the late 1970s) could be effective in protecting against monkeypox, but that the data on this is still partial, and the global supply is limited. precisely because of the eradication 40 years ago.
The WHO announced today on the other hand that on June 23 it will convene an Emergency Committee to decide whether to declare an international emergency due to the current outbreak of monkeypox, with 1,600 confirmed cases and 1,500 suspects in both endemic countries (in Africa) and not. endemic (especially in Europe and America).
The level of international emergency, which implies putting health systems around the world on alert, has been declared in recent years against diseases such as Ebola or covid itself.