The European Authority for Preparedness and Response to Health Emergencies (HERA) has delivered this Tuesday to Spain a first consignment of 5,300 doses of the third generation vaccine against monkey pox (monkeypox) developed by the Bavarian Nordic company, with whom the EU closed a purchase agreement for a total of 109,090 doses to deal with the outbreak affecting the European continent.
As announced by the European Comissiondeliveries will be made on a regular basis in the coming weeks and months although priority will be given in deliveries to the most affected countries. As was the case with the covid-19 vaccines, the doses will be distributed pro rata among the Member States, based on the population of each country. However, the countries with the highest number of cases – on the date the contract was closed in mid-June – will have priority. After Spain, the countries that will have priority in the supply will be Portugal, Germany and Belgium, although it is expected that other countries will also receive shipments in July and August.
“This is a European Health Union that responds in real time to new health threats and protects its citizens. It is the first time that, through our Health Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), we buy and donate vaccines directly to the Member States & rdquor ;, highlighted the health commissioner, Stella Kyriakidesabout an agency, established in October last year, which aspires to become the pillar of the European Union for health.
23 affected countries
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Since last May 18, a total of 2,682 cases of monkeypox have been registered in 23 Member States (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden as well as in Norway and Iceland.
Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus that is transmitted to humans through animals) with symptoms that are very similar, although less severe, to those seen in the past in smallpox patients. The disease is endemic in West and Central Africa and is spreading for the first time in Europe. In his risk assessment, the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) advised affected countries to consider vaccination early after exposure, using the third-generation vaccine produced by Bavarian Nordic, to prevent the disease or make its course less severe.