- Currently, the body says there is no need for mass vaccination
- More information on vaccine stocks needs to be shared
- To date, some 300 cases have been reported outside Africa
GENEVA, May 27 (Reuters) – Countries should take swift action to contain the spread of monkeypox and share data on their vaccine reserves, a senior World Health Organization official said on Friday.
“We think that if we put the right measures in place now, we will probably be able to contain it easily,” Sylvie Briand, WHO’s director of Global Preparedness for Infectious Risks, told the annual meeting of the United Nations agency.
Smallpox is a generally mild viral infection that is endemic to parts of West and Central Africa.
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It spreads mainly through close contact and until the recent outbreak, rarely seen in other parts of the world, so the recent emergence of cases in Europe, the United States and other areas has raised alarms.
To date, there are about 300 confirmed or suspected cases in about 20 countries where the virus was not previously circulating. Read more
“For us, we believe that the key priority right now is to try to contain this transmission in non-endemic countries,” Briand said in a technical briefing for member states.
Necessary measures included early detection and isolation of cases and follow-up of contacts, he added.
Member States should also share information on first-generation smallpox vaccine stocks that may also be effective against smallpox, Briand said. Read more
“We don’t know exactly how many doses are available in the world, so we encourage countries to come to the WHO and tell us what their reserves are,” he said. A slide in his presentation described global supplies as “very restricted.”
Currently, WHO officials do not recommend mass vaccination, instead of suggesting targeted vaccination when it is available for close contact of infected people.
“Case research, contact tracking, home isolation will be your best bets,” said Rosamund Lewis, head of the WHO smallpox secretariat, which is part of the United Nations Emergency Program. WHO.
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Edited by Andrew Heavens
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