The European Union orders 110,000 doses of monkeypox vaccine in light of the current virus outbreak. A corresponding agreement has been reached with Danish biotech company Bavarian Nordic, it said Tuesday. Delivery to the EU countries could take place from the end of June.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) recently said it was in talks with Bavarian Nordic to extend the approval of its smallpox vaccine Imvanex to include monkeypox. The vaccine is already approved for use in monkeypox in the United States.
Already orders from some EU countries
Some EU countries, including Germany and Spain, have already placed their own orders with Bavarian Nordic. According to German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, the vaccine should be available from 15 June. The Permanent Vaccination Commission (Stiko) in Germany announced last week that the smallpox vaccine Imvanex would be recommended for certain groups. These include adults who have had contact with infected people and men who have same-sex sexual contacts with changing partners.
Already more than a thousand cases
The number of monkeypox registered by the Robert Koch Institute in Germany has risen to more than 200. In Austria, there have been four proven cases of monkeypox.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently reported nearly 1,300 cases of monkeypox in countries outside Africa — most of them in men who have sex with men.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
