Your guide to all important developments around monkeypox vaccines

18 Aug 2022 , 12:44 PM

More than 24,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported as a result of the global outbreak in more than 80 countries, and the World Health Organization has issued a warning that time is running out to stop the illness from spreading outside of Africa. Vaccines stand in as a potential lifesaving strategy.

Worldwide distribution of the monkeypox vaccine has already begun, and news sources have depicted a “scramble” as nations hurry to obtain some of the few available doses. There are worries that less developed countries would be left hanging for the monkeypox vaccines. However, there are still many unknowns regarding the vaccinations’ potential efficacy.

Close skin-to-skin contact with pus-filled lesions on an infected individual is regarded to be the most effective way for the virus to spread, particularly during sexual activity. However, it is not only a sexually transmitted illness. It can spread by any form of intimate contact, as well as through contact with contaminated materials such as contaminated bedding, clothing, or dining utensils, as well as through close contact with respiratory droplets.

The major signs include a rash that looks like a pimple or blister and flu-like symptoms like fever, tiredness, and enlarged lymph nodes. People can exhibit only a rash and no flu-like symptoms, or the opposite can occur. In the current outbreak, cases frequently appear with genital or anus lesions, occasionally with penile enlargement or rectal pain, or proctitis. On the hands, feet, cheeks, and other body regions, lesions can also develop. Within three weeks of infection, symptoms typically start to show. Eventually, the lesions scab up and peel off; this typically takes two to four weeks.

Monkeypox has no known officially recognized therapies. Monkeypox can be treated with tecovirimat (TPOXX), an antiviral medication that is authorized for treating smallpox.

Monkeypox has two vaccinations available. Bavarian Nordic’s JYNNEOS vaccine against smallpox and monkeypox has received FDA approval. Due to its safety and the inclusion of a virus that cannot multiply in the body, this vaccine is the favored choice. Millions of doses of another vaccine, known as ACAM2000, which is licensed for use against smallpox and accessible against monkeypox, are also present in the stockpile.

Experts warn that monkeypox will spread to other countries and the United States if it is not controlled. According to some, it’s already too late.