EU regulator considers clearing smallpox shot for monkeypox

Jun 28, 2022, 4:23 AM | Updated: Jun 29, 2022, 3:43 am

LONDON (AP) — The European Medicines Agency says it will begin reviewing data to decide if a smallpox vaccine made by the pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic might also be authorized for monkeypox, amid a growing outbreak of the disease across the continent.

In a statement on Tuesday, the EU drug regulator noted that the vaccine, known as Imvanex in Europe but sold as Jynneos in the U.S., is already cleared for use against monkeypox by American regulators.

In Europe, the vaccine is only authorized in adults for the prevention of smallpox, which is related to monkeypox.

“The decision to start this review is based on results from laboratory studies suggesting that the vaccine triggers the production of antibodies that target the monkeypox virus,” the EMA said. The regulator said that supplies of the vaccine are currently very limited in Europe.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are currently more than 4,300 cases of monkeypox globally, of which the majority are in Europe.

The vast majority of cases are in gay and bisexual men, and in other men who have sex with men, although scientists warn anyone who is in close, physical context with someone who has monkeypox or their clothing or bedsheets is at risk of infection.

Several countries including Britain, Germany and the U.S. have already begun vaccinating those at highest risk of catching monkeypox using smallpox vaccines. Although the disease has been endemic in parts of Africa for decades, vaccines have not been used to stamp out previous outbreaks there.

Britain, which has the biggest outbreak beyond Africa, recently widened its vaccination policy to those at highest risk of monkeypox, which it defined as “gay and bisexual men at higher risk of exposure,” meaning those who have “multiple partners, participate in group sex or attends ‘sex on premises’ venues.”

On Tuesday, Britain’s Health Security Agency said there were now 1,076 cases of monkeypox across the country, adding that they expected to see infections rise further “in the coming days and weeks.”

Last week, the agency said the outbreak was spreading only in “defined sexual networks of gay, bisexual, or men who have sex with men.”

Most monkeypox patients experience only fever, body aches, chills and fatigue. People with more serious illness may develop a rash and lesions on the face and hands that can spread to other parts of the body. Most people infected with monkeypox recover within weeks without needing medical care but the disease can be more severe in vulnerable populations, like pregnant women and children.

The World Health Organization declined last week to declare monkeypox a global emergency, but has said it is working on a vaccine-sharing mechanism that some fear could see vaccines go to rich countries like the U.K. that already have their own stockpiles.

According to the health analytics firm Airfinity, Britain has 4.500 doses of the Bavarian Nordic vaccine and has ordered another 20,000 shots. The U.S. has received more than 1 million doses already and has ordered another 13 million.

On Tuesday, EU health commissioner Stella Kyriakides said the first deliveries of vaccines were arriving to the continent’s “most affected countries,” with more than 5,000 doses arriving in Spain, out of more than 109,000 procured.

The EU said in a statement that member countries with the most cases were being prioritized for deliveries; Portugal, Germany and Belgium will be the next countries to receive doses.

To date, there have been more than 1,500 monkeypox cases in Africa, with at least 66 deaths. No deaths beyond Africa have been detected.

___

Samuel Petrequin in Brussels contributed to this report.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

(Facebook Photo/City of San Luis, Arizona)...
Associated Press

San Luis authorities receive complaints about 911 calls going across border

Authorities in San Luis say they are receiving more complaints about 911 calls mistakenly going across the border.
4 days ago
(Pexels Photo)...
Associated Press

Daylight saving time begins in most of US this weekend

No time change is observed in Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas.
12 days ago
Mexican army soldiers prepare a search mission for four U.S. citizens kidnapped by gunmen in Matamo...
Associated Press

How the 4 abducted Americans in Mexico were located

The anonymous tip that led Mexican authorities to a remote shack where four abducted Americans were held described armed men and blindfolds.
12 days ago
Tom Brundy points to a newly built irrigation canal on one of the fields at his farm Tuesday, Feb. ...
Associated Press

Southwest farmers reluctant to idle farmland to save water

There is a growing sense that fallowing will have to be part of the solution to the increasingly desperate drought in the West.
19 days ago
A young bison calf stands in a pond with its herd at Bull Hollow, Okla., on Sept. 27, 2022. The cal...
Associated Press

US aims to restore bison herds to Native American lands after near extinction

U.S. officials will work to restore more large bison herds to Native American lands under a Friday order from Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.
19 days ago
(Photo: OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center)...
Sponsored Content by OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center

Here's what you need to know about OCD and where to find help

It's fair to say that most people know what obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders generally are, but there's a lot more information than meets the eye about a mental health diagnosis that affects about one in every 100 adults in the United States.

Sponsored Articles

(Pexels Photo)...

Sports gambling can be fun for adults, but it’s a dangerous game for children

While adults may find that sports gambling is a way to enhance the experience with more than just fandom on the line, it can be a dangerous proposition if children get involved in the activity.
...
Fiesta Bowl Foundation

Celebrate 50 years of Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade magic!

Since its first production in the early 1970s, the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner & Rowe has been a staple of Valley traditions, bringing family fun and excitement to downtown Phoenix.
...
Day & Night Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing

Prep the plumbing in your home just in time for the holidays

With the holidays approaching, it's important to know when your home is in need of heating and plumbing updates before more guests start to come around.
EU regulator considers clearing smallpox shot for monkeypox