The EU will analyse the extension of the MPOX this Monday and the autonomous communities will meet on Tuesday

He European Union Health Security Committee meets on monday analyze the spread of this disease, and a day later, on Tuesday, the Spanish Ministry of Health called the autonomous communities for analyze what measures need to be taken behind him decree on the health emergency of international concern The World Health Organization (WHO) announced this last Wednesday.

Tomorrow is a technical meeting where the EU will analyse new measures in light of the trend mpox outbreak (the disease formerly known as monkeypox) in the Democratic Republic of Congo, to try to stop its spread.

This committee coordinates the EU’s rapid response to serious cross-border health threats and is key to sharing information on specific measures taken by each country. This committee coordinates the EU’s rapid response to serious cross-border health threats and is key to sharing information on specific measures taken by each country. The Director General for Public Health and Health Equity of the Ministry of Health will be present on behalf of Spain: Pedro Gullón.

He European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) He noted in an updated risk assessment on Friday that it is “highly likely” that there will be more imported cases of mpox, but ruled out that there could be “persistent transmission” if action is taken quickly.

The ECDC called for ensuring effective surveillance, laboratory testing, epidemiological investigation and contact tracing capacity, initiatives similar to those called for by WHO.

The new variant of mpox can easily spread by close contact between two individualswithout the need for sexual contact, and is considered more dangerous than the 2022 one, which prompted a new similar warning, issued last May after its spread had been contained and the situation was considered under control.

The Danish pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic announced on Friday that it has asked the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to extend the approval for use in adolescents of its mpox vaccine, the only vaccine approved by competent authorities in Europe and the United States.

The Democratic Republic of Congo, where the outbreak originated, has recorded 15,664 potential cases and 548 deaths since the start of the year – with children under 15 accounting for 56% and 79% of all cases and deaths respectively. – Cases have also been recorded in 13 other African countries.

Since the outbreak began in 2022, there have been reports 8,104 cases in SpainAccording to data from the Ministry of Health, the vast majority, 7,521, occurred that same year.

The Spanish Ministry of Health will meet with the autonomous communities on Tuesday

The Spanish Ministry of Health is considering making some changes to the mpox vaccination strategy, which is currently indicated people who have risky sexual relationships, health care personnel in specialized consultations and laboratory personneland will increase measures for those traveling to countries where the outbreak is active.

This was indicated by the Minister of Health, Mónica García, in a thread published on her account on the existing social network and will evaluate the need to adopt new ones.

In this sense, and after stressing that the risk in Spain and Europe as a whole is low, the head of health stresses that “the greatest risk is found in people who travel to countries with significant mpox outbreaks in Africa”, so they will propose “new actions” on it.

Furthermore, he recalled that “the good performance” against mpox in Spain between 2022 and 2024 was “thanks to the joint work with the autonomous communities and, above all, with the groups that allowed us to tackle this without stigma and effectively.”