Vaccination against monkeypox, which began in July, was extended to August. The group of people who are entitled to it was even expanded after the Risk Management Group added all men who have sex with men and who have already been infected with sexually transmitted diseases.
The only problem is that the number of vaccine doses available is lower than the demand. Jean-Christophe Goffard, director of the internal medicine department of the Erasmus hospital, expresses his concern at the microphone of our colleagues from La Première.
“I am very happy that we are extending vaccination to people who, because of their age, have not benefited from vaccination against smallpox because we are very clearly faced with an increase in the number of cases which poses problems. People are asking for this vaccine.It hurts to have monkeypox. This causes pain that can be excruciating at the rectal level. But unfortunately, announcing that we are expanding vaccination without having the operational background, without having either the vaccines or the people to vaccinate, is to make announcement effects that make no sense at the present time and it’s quite contemptuous for the field staff“, he confides.
“We are again behind compared to other countries”
In the fall, 30,000 doses of monkeypox vaccine will arrive. But by then, there are only 3040 doses available and the number of cases is increasing. “We already have probably 1200 candidates and we are a small center compared to others”, admits the director of the internal medicine department of the Erasmus hospital.
“It takes us a lot of time to receive worried people, to discuss with them, to diagnose them, and then afterwards, to accompany them during the 21 days when they will be isolated, at home, in significant pain. So, yes, that worries me. If the number of cases increases and extends to the general population, because we have not reacted quickly enough with vaccination, it is worrying. We should have done like France, vaccinated already much earlier, unfortunately, we are again a little behind compared to other countries. It happens to us often. I think the decision-making process in Belgium is sometimes a bit slow”, continues the professor.