The European Commission announced on Monday the purchase of 54,530 additional doses of vaccine against monkeypox under its contract with Danish laboratory Bavarian Nordic, raising concerns about an increase in cases of “nearly 50%” in the EU in a week.
The number of doses purchased on behalf of European countries now stands at 163,620, the European executive said in a press release.
A worrying situation
EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said she was “concerned by the increasing number of cases of monkeypox in the EU”.
According to figures from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) as of July 14, 7,128 confirmed cases have been listed in theUEmainly in Spain (2,477), Germany (1,790) and France (912).
“We reacted promptly and ensured a rapid response through the new European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), and already delivered around 25,000 doses to six Member States”, recalled the European Commissioner. .
A WHO emergency committee
Spain received 5,300 doses of vaccine, as did Germany and Italy, Belgium 3,040, Sweden 2,700, as did Portugal, and Ireland 1,400. The Commission specifies that deliveries will continue in the coming months in EU Member States, Norway and Iceland. The Emergency Committee of theOMS is due to meet on Thursday to determine ways to stem the surge in cases.
The monkeypox is characterized by skin rashes – which may appear on the genitals or in the mouth – and may be accompanied by fever, sore throat or pain in the lymph nodes.
The virus can be transmitted by direct contact with lesions on the skin or mucous membranes of a patient, as well as by droplets. “Sexual intercourse (…) meets these conditions for contamination, and having several partners increases the risk of being exposed to the virus”, recalls Public Health France.