Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, September 1st. Summary: More than 50,000 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the world, many countries strengthen monkeypox prevention and control
Xinhua News Agency reporter
According to the statistics of the monkeypox epidemic released by the World Health Organization on August 31, the cumulative number of confirmed cases of monkeypox in the world reached 50,496, and the cumulative number of deaths was 16. The WHO said monkeypox outbreaks are now slowing in Canada and parts of Europe, but the number of infections is still rising in some countries in the Americas. In response to the monkeypox epidemic, many countries have adopted prevention and control measures such as purchasing a large number of monkeypox vaccines and strengthening monkeypox virus monitoring.
Monkeypox spreads to hundreds of countries
Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. In the past, this infectious disease mostly occurred in West and Central Africa, but since May this year, many countries and regions outside Africa have reported monkeypox cases one after another. WHO declared the monkeypox outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern” on July 23.
According to WHO statistics, since the beginning of this year, more than 100 Member States have reported monkeypox cases in six of the organization’s regions. The Americas are currently the region with the largest number of newly infected monkeypox cases in the world. The latest data shows that over 60% of the world’s new monkeypox cases come from the Americas, while the proportion in Europe has dropped to more than 30%.
The data shows that as of August 30, the 10 countries that have reported the most cases of monkeypox in the world are the United States, Spain, Brazil, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Peru, Canada, the Netherlands and Portugal. Pox cases account for 88.5% of all monkeypox cases in the world.
The United States has the highest number of monkeypox cases in the world. Data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that as of August 30, more than 18,400 confirmed cases of monkeypox have been reported in the United States. The U.S. government declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency in the country in early August.
U.S. public health experts have pointed out that the actual number of monkeypox cases in the United States may be much higher than official statistics due to insufficient testing capacity. Most suspected patients are not tested in time, potentially spreading the virus to more people. Experts say the U.S. government is making the same mistakes of poor response it did when the new crown epidemic emerged, lagging behind and in chaos in case data collection, testing and vaccines.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus pointed out at a press conference on August 31 that the reduction in new cases in some countries proves that the epidemic can be contained. In the Americas, which account for more than half of monkeypox cases, Canada has seen a continued downward trend, even as the number of infections continues to rise in some countries. The epidemic in some European countries such as Germany and the Netherlands has also slowed down significantly, which proves the effectiveness of public health interventions.
In response to the recent downward trend in the number of new monkeypox cases in many European countries, WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge said on August 30 that if countries strengthen their response measures, the monkeypox epidemic in Europe may be completely eliminated.
Monkeypox vaccine is in short supply in many countries
As the monkeypox epidemic spreads in Europe and the United States, some countries have begun to purchase monkeypox vaccines in large quantities. However, due to the limited supply of monkeypox vaccines, many countries in Europe and the United States are facing a shortage of monkeypox vaccines.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration urgently authorized a new vaccination program for monkeypox vaccine on August 9. The vaccination method was changed from subcutaneous injection to intradermal injection, and the dose of vaccine required for each injection was only one-fifth of the original. American public opinion pointed out that this clearly shows that the government does not have enough vaccines to deal with the monkeypox epidemic.
The U.S. government said on August 18 that it has distributed nearly 1 million doses of the “Guinios” monkeypox vaccine to various places. But the “New York Times” disclosed that experts estimate that 3.5 million doses of vaccines are currently needed to control the epidemic.
The European Medicines Agency, the European Union’s regulator, announced on August 19 that, given the limited supply of monkeypox vaccine produced by Nordic in Bavaria, Denmark, European countries may consider reducing the single dose of the vaccine to expand the scope of vaccination. efficient. The European Medicines Agency recommends the use of the “one-in-five” injection method, that is, individuals receive two intradermal injections of monkeypox vaccine with an interval of about 4 weeks, and the single dose is one-fifth of the original dose.
The UK Health and Safety Authority issued an announcement on August 22 that it will provide eligible people with one-fifth of the original dose of the monkeypox vaccine to expand the size of the population that the vaccine can protect. The UK Health Safety Authority previously said the initial delivery of 50,000 doses of the monkeypox vaccine would run out by the end of August.
Many countries strictly prevent monkeypox
The Indonesian government is strengthening monkeypox prevention and control, adding 10 polymerase chain reaction laboratories at ports of entry at airports and ports, and trying to obtain monkeypox vaccines.
Lithuania has ordered about 1,400 doses of monkeypox vaccine, and contacts at high risk of contracting the monkeypox virus will be vaccinated. In order to curb the spread of the monkeypox epidemic, the French government has set up a dedicated telephone line to provide consultation and other services to the public, in addition to taking measures such as vaccination for high-risk groups and targeted popularization of science.
The Israeli Ministry of Health has signed an agreement with vaccine manufacturers to purchase 10,000 doses of monkeypox vaccine, of which 5,600 doses were delivered by the end of July and the remaining 4,400 doses are expected to be delivered in September. The monkeypox vaccine will be available to high-risk groups in Israel from July 31. The Israeli Ministry of Health says more than 2,800 eligible Israelis have been vaccinated.
The Ministry of Health of Vietnam recently issued the “Interim Guidelines for Monitoring and Prevention of Monkeypox Epidemic”. The Ministry of Health of Vietnam said that so far, Vietnam has not reported any confirmed cases of monkeypox in Vietnam, but the possibility of monkeypox virus entering Vietnam is very high. If you have suspected symptoms such as rash, headache, and fever during self-health monitoring, you should go to the nearest medical institution for diagnosis and treatment immediately.
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