Germany has ordered 40 000 doses of Bavarian Nordic’s Imvanex smallpox vaccine to be ready to carry out ring vaccinations if the monkeypox outbreak in Germany becomes more severe.
Speaking at a press conference, German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said on Tuesday that for now, he was banking on an isolation period of at least 21 days for infected people to contain the outbreak.
So far, five cases have been registered in Germany, all men, said Lothar Wieler, the head of Germany’s Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases, also speaking at the press conference.
European nations, the United States, Canada and Australia confirmed or suspected around 200 cases with numbers expected to rise as more medical practitioners now look for signs and symptoms.
Moderna testing potential monkeypox vaccines
The World Health Organisation said on Tuesday there have been 131 confirmed monkeypox cases and 106 further suspected cases since the first was reported on May 7 outside the countries where it usually spreads.
Moderna did not immediately respond to a request for more details on the monkeypox vaccines.
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said the government was in the process of releasing doses of a smallpox vaccine Jynneos, made by Bavarian Nordic A/S, for use in monkeypox cases.
A short video on the Monkeypox cases around the world as of 23 May 2022:
Nearly 20 countries where monkeypox is not endemic have reported outbreaks of the viral disease, with more than 100 confirmed or suspected infections mostly in Europe.
ASIA-PACIFIC
AUSTRALIA on May 20 reported its first case in a traveller who recently returned from Britain. Another suspected case was also identified.
EUROPE
* AUSTRIA confirmed its first case on May 22.
* BELGIUM detected two cases on May 20.
* DENMARK confirmed a second case on May 24, a day after the first.
* FRANCE confirmed a first case in the Paris region on May 20, according to French media outlets.
* GERMANY has confirmed three cases, with the first registered on May 20.
* ITALY has confirmed four cases by May 23. It detected its first case on May 19.
* The NETHERLANDS reported its first case on May 20. It has since confirmed “several” more patients, without stating the exact number.
* PORTUGAL reported 14 new confirmed cases on May 23, bringing the total to 37.
* SLOVENIA confirmed its first case on May 24.
* SPAIN confirmed four more cases in the Madrid region on May 23, raising the total to 34, with another 38 suspected cases in Madrid.
* SWEDEN confirmed its first case on May 19.
* SWITZERLAND reported its first confirmed case on May 21.
* The UNITED KINGDOM detected 36 additional cases in England on May 23, taking the total of confirmed cases in the country to 56.
MIDDLE EAST
* ISRAEL confirmed its first case on May 21.
AMERICAS
* ARGENTINA reported its first suspected case on May 23. No cases are yet confirmed in South America.
* CANADA confirmed two infections on May 19. Quebec authorities said they were investigating 17 suspected cases.
* The UNITED STATES has confirmed two cases, the first on May 18. A third case is suspected as of May 23.
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