Who is buying the smallpox vaccine?
A mysterious buyer has signed a supply contract with Bavarian Nordic, the Danish company that makes the smallpox vaccine. The ISS, meanwhile, reports reservations in Italy and recalls when (not too long ago) in the United States there was fear of a smallpox epidemic generated by a deliberate release of viruses into the environment
There are about twenty cases of monkeypox, also known as monkeypox, confirmed between Europe and America but some countries are already wondering about the use and purchase of the traditional smallpox vaccine in order to avoid an increase in cases.
In fact, since there is no specific vaccine for monkeypox, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (Ecdc) has also suggested to countries that have traditional smallpox vaccines to "consider vaccinating contacts with high risk".
THE VAIOLO AND MONKEYPOX
The last known case of smallpox in the world was diagnosed in 1977 in Somalia and the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the disease eradicated in 1980.
Monkeypox, on the other hand, which causes a disease with similar but less severe symptoms than smallpox, continued to occur mainly in Central and West African countries. However, human-to-human transmission is believed to be limited.
In 2020, according to the WHO, cases were reported in 15 countries around the world.
THE TRADITIONAL VACCINE
Since smallpox is caused by a virus, treatment with antibiotics is not effective, explains the Higher Institute of Health (ISS). There is no specific treatment and the only way to prevent it is vaccination.
But with the eradication of the disease, vaccination was suspended in the 1970s and 1980s in all countries.
Also in Italy, after the suspension in 1977 it was then definitively repealed in 1981. This is why the director of Infectious Diseases of the San Martino Polyclinic in Genoa, Matteo Bassetti , said that "anyone who is vaccinated for smallpox should be covered".
WHAT THE ISS SAYS ABOUT THE VACCINE
On the ISS website, however, we read that “smallpox vaccination guarantees high immunity against smallpox for 3-5 years, after which the level of protection decreases. If a person is vaccinated again, immunity lasts longer ”.
The Institute also states that “the smallpox vaccine is still composed of a virus similar to that of smallpox, the Vaccinia virus of bovine origin. The vaccine contains the live virus and therefore vaccination must be carried out with great caution to avoid spreading the virus to areas of the body far from the injection point. Furthermore, the vaccine has many side effects ”.
EFFECTIVENESS
“Historically, – continues the ISS – the vaccine has proved effective in preventing smallpox infection in 95% of vaccinated people. It has proved efficient even after contact has already taken place, as long as it is administered within a few days of exposure to the virus ".
WHO PRODUCES THE VACCINE
The Imvanex smallpox vaccine, authorized by the European Medicines Agency (Ema) in 2013, is produced by the Danish laboratory Bavarian Nordic and according to El Paìs , Spain, which has currently confirmed 7 cases, has already decided to buy thousands of doses.
Just Thursday, according to Radiocor , a European country, whose name was not disclosed, signed a supply contract with the company, which immediately benefited from it on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange. “The company's stock around 12 o'clock is up 17.4% to 214.65 Danish kroner,” reports the article.
"The circumstances of the current monkeypox cases in Europe remain to be clarified, but the speed with which they have developed, combined with the possibility that infections beyond the initial cases are not detected, requires a rapid and coordinated approach by the health authorities", said the president and CEO of Bavarian Nordic, Paul Chaplin.
The Danish company also reported that in the United States and Canada the vaccine (marketed under the Jynneos brand) is already authorized against both traditional and monkey smallpox, while in Europe, although it has only been approved for smallpox, has previously been equipped with off-label use for monkeypox cases.
VACCINE RESERVES IN ITALY
The ISS in its updated page also makes it known that "at present, there is no reason why the smallpox vaccination is reintroduced".
"In any case, – continues the ISS – the smallpox vaccine reserves are available through the World Health Organization for immediate use, under the direction of national and international health authorities".
According to the Institute, Italy now has 5 million doses of smallpox vaccine which, through dilutions, can reach 25 million doses. However, given the possible complications, the Ministry of Health advises against vaccination extended to the population in the absence of imminent danger.
RESERVES OF VIRUSES AND BIOTERRORIST FARS
In addition to the vaccine reserves, according to the ISS website, there are also reserves of the virus for study reasons "officially kept only in two laboratories under strictly safe conditions: one in the United States and one in Russia".
The Institute adds that "however, it cannot be excluded that other virus deposits exist, in violation of the requirements of the World Health Organization" and points out that "especially after the attacks of 11 September 2001, in the United States and in other Countries around the world fear of a possible smallpox epidemic generated by a deliberate release of viruses into the environment has returned ”.
Reason that led the then US president, George W. Bush, both to produce new doses of vaccine to be able to immunize the American population in the event of an epidemic and to offer the possibility of vaccinating to anyone who wanted to do so.
By the end of March 2003, more than 350,000 Americans had been vaccinated but, following some cases of vaccination reaction, American health institutions have suggested that vaccination be suspended in people with heart problems until the side effects of vaccination are further explored. .
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/sanita/chi-sta-comprando-il-vaccino-contro-il-vaiolo/ on Sat, 21 May 2022 06:09:19 +0000.