MINSAL announced the expansion of the prioritized group of the vaccination campaign against Monkeypox in the pre-exposure stage.
In order to strengthen the prevention of monkeypox in Chile, The Ministry of Health has decided to expand the coverage of the target group for vaccination against this virus.
Monkeypox, or monkeypox, is a zoonotic viral disease (disease caused by a virus transmitted from animals to people) of the orthopoxvirus family, the same as the Variola virus that causes human smallpox, already eradicated in 1980, and which produces symptoms similar to those observed in smallpox patients in the past, less severe.
The Ministry of Health, through its Department of Epidemiology, began monitoring this event according to international recommendations.
Who can receive the monkeypox vaccine?
The new prioritized groups are:
- All people living with HIV, regardless of their age or degree of immunodeficiency.
- The entire population that consults for an STI or with a history of having had an STI in the last year.
- All men who have sex with men, regardless of age, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
“Chile was the first country to start vaccination against Mpox in the region and it is also the first to continue to advance massively in vaccination. Today, thanks to the tremendous work that the vaccination teams do in the different health centers, we are making this announcement.”, expressed the Undersecretary of Public Health (s), Fernando González.
In addition, the Undersecretary added: “I want to appreciate the work of the vaccination teams, particularly from the San Juan de Dios Hospital, to carry out these campaigns with a lot of commitment, with a lot of conviction and security, transmitting to the entire community that the vaccines that the state of Chile administers are safe and effective. ”.
Doses given against monkeypox
In the activity it was reported that 10,474 doses of vaccines against Monkeypox have been administered. Of these, 3,629 are second doses and correspond to the complete scheme.
Fernando González, Undersecretary of Public Health (s) exclaimed: “I want to take this opportunity to call so that no person who has the possibility of getting vaccinated stops doing so. Come to your vaccination points, find out in your municipalities, in your primary care centers so that you can access the vaccines ”.
“We are going to continue advancing in the target population groups against this disease, which fortunately we have managed to effectively control. However, there is still a population at risk that must continue to protect itself and that is why today we announce the advance to the next stage of vaccination ”, continued the Undersecretary.
