UNITED NATIONS, Sep 27 (IPS) – Yesterday, India’s Federal Ministry of Health reported the first documented case of MPOX in the country. The infected individual was reported to have contracted the clade Ib strain of the virus, which is a much deadlier variant than the more common clade II. This development has caused great concern among health officials around the world, as the MPox epidemic had until recently been contained in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In August, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the emerging MPox epidemic a “global health emergency.” In the early stages of the epidemic, approximately 90 percent of all cases had been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In the following weeks, infections were reported in neighboring countries including Kenya, Burundi and Rwanda. The virus had also spread to non-African countries such as Pakistan, Thailand and Sweden.
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (ACDC) reported a 160 percent increase in cases from the previous year, adding that most of these cases are from the deadlier clade I variant. In addition, there has been a significant increase in cases in Kinshasa, the capital of Congo, in recent weeks. According to the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of Congo, only 525 cases of infection had been observed in Kinshasa as of September 15. However, ten percent of those cases were reported in the last week of that testing period, which analysts say indicates infection rates are on the rise.
Although few cases of the clade Ib strain have been detected outside Congo and there have been no fatalities, health officials around the world have established processes to monitor the spread and isolate infected individuals. The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) urged continued vigilance around this epidemic, stating: “The scale of these outbreaks could be larger than reported due to underestimation and under-reporting.” Congo’s Ministry of Health estimates that only 20 percent of MPox cases are confirmed, with most never seeking help or their symptoms being brushed off as chickenpox.
Congolese health officials have long advocated a robust MPOX vaccination campaign, believing it is paramount to eradicating this health crisis. “The spreading outbreak and the ongoing difficulties in containing it using traditional public health measures highlight the clear role of vaccines as part of the comprehensive response. A strong, well-coordinated rollout of mpox vaccines, building on lessons learned from the COVID-19 and Ebola epidemics. Vaccine rollout, among other things, is essential,” said the WHO Regional Office for Africa.
On September 13, the WHO approved its first prequalification for a vaccine against MPox.
Dr. Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for Access to Medicines and Health Products, said: “WHO’s prequalification of the MVA-BN vaccine will support the ongoing procurement of the mpox vaccines by governments and international agencies such as Gavi and Help UNICEF accelerate. communities on the frontlines of the ongoing emergency in Africa and beyond.”
The MVA-BN vaccine is currently only approved for people who are over 18 years old and are not pregnant or immunocompromised. Patients receive two doses of injections, four weeks apart.
The WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization states that off-label use of the MVA-BN vaccine can be permitted for all patients because the benefits of widespread vaccination far outweigh the potential risks. Studies show that one dose of the vaccine prior to infection provides 76 percent immunization, while two doses provide 86 percent immunization. The WHO is currently facilitating the widespread rollout of vaccines and is pushing for donor contributions so that initiatives can be scaled up.
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