ΕΜΑ gives "good" for monkeypox vaccine

The Danish company Bavarian Nordic’s Imvanex vaccine was approved in 2013 as a prophylactic against smallpox. The drug is now approved in the European Union for use against monkeypox, the EMA (European Medicines Agency) announced on July 22.

The results of the meeting of the WHO emergency committee, which took place on Thursday, are expected. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, expressed his concern about the rise in the number of cases of monkeypox in the world.

The head of WHO is responsible for declaring a public health emergency of international concern. Recently, the situation has worsened: more than 15,300 cases of the disease have been registered in 71 countries of the world, as evidenced by updated data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A month ago, at the first meeting of the WHO emergency committee on June 23, experts recommended that the WHO head not declare an emergency.

Endorsing the use of the monkeypox inoculation, EMA bases its decision on data from several animal studies. They demonstrated effective protection against monkeypox virus in non-human primates vaccinated with Imvanex. The agency said in a statement:

“The safety profile of the drug is favorable, side effects are mild to moderate, and the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has concluded that the benefits of the drug outweigh the risks.”

On Tuesday, Bavarian Nordic, the only manufacturer of an approved monkeypox vaccine, said it had already received an order for 1.5 million doses from a European country, without disclosing its name. Most of this order will be delivered in 2023. The United States has also ordered 2.5 million doses of the drug, reports cnn.gr.

US health authorities confirm cases for the first time monkeypox in children. According to the official announcement, this is a baby from California and a baby not residing in the US. These two cases are unrelated and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are likely to be familial infections. The two children are undergoing treatment and doing well, according to the CDC.

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