Monkeypox vaccinations started, 32,000 people invited

They receive two injections, which must be at least four weeks apart. For those who have had an old smallpox vaccination, one vaccination is sometimes sufficient. “These are the groups we think will benefit the most,” says Henry de Vries, professor of skin infections and involved in the vaccination team of the GGD in Amsterdam. “People who use PrEP often have more partners, and therefore more likely to contract the virus,” explains the professor. He assumes a high vaccination readiness: “Studies show that it is above 90 percent.”

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This is what we now know about monkey pox

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The virus can be transmitted through intensive physical contact. In Europe it is now mainly found in men who have sex with men and often have changing partners. However, other groups can also contract the virus, emphasized Minister Kuipers (Public Health) earlier.

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Since Saturday, the World Health Organization (WHO) has spoken of an international threat to public health, because the virus has been diagnosed in 70 countries. This is the highest warning level of the UN agency. “It is a signal to all member states to take action”, says professor De Vries in the Netherlands NOS Radio 1 News. “It is also a call to other countries to check whether the virus is also circulating there”. The same warning level also applies to polio and covid.

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In the Netherlands, the number of infections has now risen to 712, according to the most recent figures. Last week, 163 new cases came to light, the fastest increase since the virus appeared in the Netherlands in April. Two thirds of the cases have been diagnosed in Amsterdam, says De Vries.

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According to the RIVM, the majority of these infections are mild, but the virus can indeed make people very ill. Symptoms range from painful rash to severe headache and fever.

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Common smallpox

The fact that ‘only’ 32,000 people will initially be vaccinated has to do with the amount of vaccines available. In the Netherlands there are 70,000, but two injections per person are needed for prevention. In addition, 10,000 vaccines are also sent abroad, because few or even no vaccines are available there.

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According to the WHO, in principle the standard smallpox vaccine, Imvanex, of which a limited supply was already available worldwide due to the eradication of smallpox. Because the monkeypox virus resembles ‘normal’ smallpox, Imvanex is also expected to be effective in monkeypox.

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Since 2013, Imvanex has been allowed to be used for human smallpox vaccination in the EU. Since last week, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has officially advised that Imvanex should also be used for the prevention of monkey pox. In the United States and Canada, it has had that approval since 2019.

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Not immediately protected

“You have to give two injections to get the maximum effect,” says professor De Vries. After that, he says, it will take a few more weeks before the vaccine actually protects. “The immune system has to respond to it, only then are you protected.” According to De Vries, anyone who receives the vaccine should take into account a period of five to six weeks until protection.

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According to the RIVM, it is not yet clear whether the vaccine can prevent all monkey pox complaints. “It is possible that some people still develop a mild form of the disease and that they can pass on the virus despite vaccination,” the agency reports on its website.

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The side effects will be mild in most people, says De Vries. “This is a third-generation vaccine, it is absolutely not comparable in side effects to the vaccine that was given until 1974 against smallpox.”

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