GENEVA: Countries should take quick steps to stop the spread of monkeypox and share data about their vaccine stockpiles, a senior World Health Organization official said on Friday.
“We think we can easily prevent this if we take the right measures now,” Sylvie Bryand, WHO’s director of Global Infectious Hazard Preparedness, told the UN agency’s annual gathering.
Monkeypox is a generally mild viral infection that is endemic in parts of West and Central Africa.
It spreads mainly through close contact and, until recent outbreaks, was rarely seen in other parts of the world, which is why the recent emergence of cases in Europe, the United States and other regions has raised alarm. is extended.
So far, there are about 300 confirmed or suspected cases in about 20 countries where the virus was not spreading before.
“For us, we think the key priority at present is trying to prevent this transmission in non-endemic countries,” Bryand told a technical briefing for member states.
He said necessary measures include early detection and isolation of cases and contact tracing.
Bryand said member states should also share information about first-generation stockpiles of smallpox vaccines that could also be effective against monkeypox.
“We don’t know exactly the number of doses available in the world and so we encourage countries to come to the WHO and tell us what their reserves are,” she said. A slide in his presentation described global supplies as “very limited”.
Currently, WHO officials are advising against mass vaccination, instead suggesting targeted vaccination where available to close contacts of infected people.
“Case investigation, contact tracing, home isolation would be your best bet,” said Rosamund Lewis, WHO chief of the smallpox secretariat, which is part of the WHO emergencies programme.
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