The Indian Council of Medical Research has invited expressions of interest from private companies to develop a vaccine to protect the vulnerable against the virus. But the question is who will get the vaccine first?
Earlier this week, the World Health Organisation (WHO) chief said, "WHO recommends targeted vaccination for those exposed to someone with monkeypox, & for those at high risk of exposure, incl. health workers, some lab workers, & those with multiple sexual partners. At this time, we do not recommend mass vaccination against monkeypox"
However, the India government is yet to issue a directive regarding who should be vaccinated first or who is ‘high risk’. But time and again, several experts have pointed out that people under the age of 45 are considered to be more vulnerable to the disease as they didn't get the smallpox vaccine. India stopped smallpox vaccinations in 1978 when it seemed that the disease have been completely eradicated.
WHO chief asserted that the union health agency “still lacks data on the effectiveness of vaccines or how many doses might be needed” and further urged all countries that are using vaccines to collect and share critical data.
"WHO is developing a research framework that countries can use to generate the data we need to better understand how effective these vaccines are in preventing both infection and disease, and how to use them most effectively," the WHO chief also notified
WHO notified that one smallpox vaccine, called MVA-BN, has been approved in Canada, the European Union and the U.S. for use against monkeypox. Two other vaccines, LC16 and ACAM2000, are also being considered for use against monkeypox.
However pointing out the real threat currently, the WHO chief said, "There are also challenges with the availability of this vaccine. There are about 16 million doses of MVA-BN globally. Most are in bulk form, meaning they will take several months to “fill and finish” into vials that are ready to use."
Further noting that the vaccine might not bring immediate relief he said, “People vaccinated with MVA should continue to take measures to protect themselves, by avoiding close contact, incl. sex, with others who have/are at risk of having monkeypox”
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