EU approves use of monkeypox vaccine.
The European Commission has approved the use of a smallpox vaccine against monkeypox after the World Health Organization declared monkeypox a global health emergency, the Danish drugmaker said.
“The European Commission has extended the authorization of the company’s smallpox vaccine, Imvanex, to include it in protection against monkeypox,” in line with the recommendation of the EU health watchdog, the Bavarian Nordic company said.
“The approval applies to all member states of the European Union as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway,” the company said.
On Saturday, February 23, the WHO declared monkeypox a global health emergency. So far, 16,000 people in 72 countries of the world have been affected by monkey pox.
In the EU since 2013 the Imvanex vaccine has been approved for use against smallpox.
The use of the smallpox vaccine was also considered earlier because of the similarity between the viruses that cause smallpox and monkeypox.
Monkey pox is less dangerous and less contagious than smallpox, which was eradicated in 1980.
Symptoms of monkeypox are fever, headache, muscle and back pain. Symptoms last for five days.
Also, affected persons have rashes on the face, hands and feet, as well as pimples.
The new outbreak of monkeypox was reported in early May in Central and West African states, where the disease has long been epidemic.