“Concerns Rise Over Diminished Vaccine Immunity and Potential Monkeypox Outbreak”

Coinciding with the World Health Organization’s announcement of the abolition of the state of emergency for “monkeypox” last Friday, US experts issued warnings of an outbreak of the disease in the summer, after monitoring evidence of a lack of protection provided by the available vaccine.

The witnesses came from the state of Chicago; As the Public Health Department announced the registration of 13 cases of the disease between April 17 and May 5, and 9 of them (69 percent) were people who received the vaccine, which raised concerns that the immunity it provides does not last long, or that there are mutations. The virus has evolved to escape the immunity provided by the vaccine.

The “Ginus” vaccine, which was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration about 4 years ago, is used to prevent the disease. The website of the US Food and Drug Administration indicates in a report published on the vaccine on September 24, 2019, that it is intended for the prevention of smallpox and “monkeypox” in adults 18 years of age or older who have been identified as exposed. risk of infection, which is “the only one approved for the prevention of monkeypox disease.”

It is recommended to use two doses of the vaccine for unvaccinated, eligible and at-risk groups, to prevent the disease.

However, the infections that were recorded in Chicago may prompt a new recommendation to obtain a booster dose, due to the short duration of immunity provided by the vaccine, or may prompt a complete change in the composition of the vaccine, if the cause of the deficiency in immunity is a mutation in the virus, says Judd. Hultquist, an assistant professor of infectious diseases at Northwestern University.

And Hultquist explains in a report published Friday on the university’s website, that “pox viruses evolve on a much slower time scale than many other viruses, such as (emerging corona) or HIV; But all viruses mutate and change in humans, and efforts are underway to find out if the smallpox virus responsible for this latest appearance is different from what was circulating last year.

Karen Krueger, an assistant professor of infectious diseases at Northwestern University, notes that this outbreak may help speed up the approval process for Tecovirmat, which is currently under investigation for the treatment of smallpox.

Karen Kruger says, “(Ticofermat) can now be obtained by participating in a clinical trial, or by accessing emergency use in clinics participating in clinical trials.”

In response to a question by Asharq Al-Awsat about what appears to be a contradiction between the cancellation of the state of emergency and American concerns, Shaza Muhammad, the medical official at the Infection Risks and Prevention Unit at the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, explained that research is being done in America at the level of vaccine treatment and prevention. , is what the World Health Organization is calling for, despite the abolition of the state of emergency.

She pointed out that «abolishing the state of emergency does not mean neglect, as the disease still poses public health challenges that need appropriate management, moving it from a state of health emergency to a strong, proactive and sustainable response to the outbreak of the disease, to prevent its re-spread, and reduce local transmission of infection, especially in countries. in which smallpox is endemic.

Shaza Mohamed revealed, “The organization is driving an ongoing strategy that needs long-term partnerships and resources to improve surveillance, research and control measures, prioritization and investment in African countries and other disadvantaged communities; As efforts to prepare for and respond to smallpox are still insufficient.

“Integrating smallpox prevention, preparedness and response into national surveillance and control programmes, including HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, is an important component of this long-term transmission,” she added.

Regarding the reasons for canceling the state of emergency, the medical official at the Infection Risk and Prevention Preparedness Unit said, “The emergency committee noticed a significant decrease in the number of reported cases, and the absence of changes in the severity of the disease and its clinical manifestations, and on May 10 fewer cases were reported.” 90 percent, compared to the previous three months, and these were sufficient justifications for making the decision.

Despite this decision, the Committee recognized that uncertainties remain about the disease, with regard to modes of transmission in some countries, the poor quality of some reported data, and the continuing lack of effective countermeasures in African countries. But she considered these long-term challenges, and they could be better addressed through continued efforts to move towards a long-term strategy to manage the public health risks posed by smallpox, and not through a public health emergency of international concern, as explained by the medical officer of the Infection Risk Preparedness Unit. and prevention.