Monkeypox fears grow as Germany orders 40,000 vaccines to help combat spread

GB News: Tempers flare over monkeypox 'hysteria'

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

For the moment officials are relying on other precautionary measures, such as an isolation period of 21 days for those infected, to keep numbers down.

German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said at a press conference on Tuesday that they hoped this would be enough for the time being.

He reassured that this did not translate to a pandemic on the same scale as that of COVID-19 and the outbreak could be contained.

He said: “If infections spread further we will want to be prepared for possible ring vaccinations that are not yet recommended at this point but might become necessary.”

His advice was echoed by the World Health Organisation, who said on Monday that mass vaccinations would not be needed as measures like hygiene and safe sex would protect people.

So far, five cases have been registered in Germany, with all those infected being men.

Monkeypox is endemic to parts of western and central Africa, yet there are currently over 250 confirmed and suspected cases around the world.

The US has said they already have 1,000 doses of the Bavarian Nordic vaccine in stock but they expect to acquire more in the coming weeks.

The vaccine is approved to treat monkeypox and smallpox, a previously serious disease which was eradicated in the 20th century through a comprehensive vaccination programme.

Health officials have claimed this monkeypox outbreak was likely to happen due to reduced protection levels against the disease, as people no longer routinely receive the smallpox vaccine.

That vaccine also helped to fend off monkeypox.

Dr Romulus Breban, a researcher at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, described the outbreak as “waiting to happen” and wrote in 2020 the illness posed “an ever-increasing threat for health security”.

DON’T MISS:
Margrethe pays tribute to Elizabeth’s ‘marvellous’ sense of humour [ROYALS]
Queen delights fans after meeting with the Emir of Qatar [INSIGHT]
Trump swats away speculation ex-VP Pence could launch 2024 bid [US POLITICS]

He added: “Our immunity level is almost zero.

“People aged 50 and above are likely to be immune but the rest of us not, so we are very, very susceptible.”

Dr Breban believes monkeypox can be contained and has proposed a vaccination programme for countries where it is endemic, reported The Guardian.

Source: Read Full Article