Vaccines are already actively used against monkeypox, which also fight ordinary smallpox, but there are no drugs for
Are there vaccines for monkeypox?
Yes, there are vaccines against the virus; they are now stored in the USA and Europe. But these approved vaccines are not specific to monkeypox.
It's actually a vaccine against smallpox,which is said to be 85% effective in combating monkeypox. The UK has started vaccinating people who have been in contact with patients infected with the virus. This is a strategy called ring vaccination.
There are two smallpox vaccines in the US:
ACAM2000approved by the Product Control Authorityand US medicines (FDA) in 2007. This vaccine was mainly used to vaccinate military personnel, since they could potentially become infected with one of the strains that the vaccine protects against.
Side effects:myocarditis and pericarditis in 5.7 per 1,000 vaccinated people. Also encephalitis, severe skin infection, blindness, fetal death and more. These risks increase depending on the patient and can lead to severe disability as well as permanent neurological damage.
ACAM2000 is a live-based vaccinesmallpox virus, which can be transmitted to persons in close contact with the vaccinated person, and the risks associated with this are similar to those listed above.
Common side effects: lymphadenitis, malaise, fatigue, fever, myalgia and headache. These effects are less common in revaccinated individuals than in those who received the vaccine for the first time.
Jynneos.Also called a vaccine Imvamune in Canada or Imvanex in Europe.It was approved by the FDA in 2019. This vaccine is also made based on a weakened virus. It is intended to prevent smallpox and monkeypox in adults 18 years of age and older.
It is also suitable for those who cannot be vaccinatedACAM2000 due to contraindications, such as atopic dermatitis, weak immunity, and during breastfeeding or pregnancy. It is the only FDA-approved monkeypox vaccine that is intended for civilians as well as military use.
Office of Advanced Biomedical SciencesUS Research and Development Authority (BARDA) has also signed a contract with Bavarian Nordic to create a freeze-dried version of the Jynneos smallpox vaccine. Such a vaccine will be stored longer.
Lyophilization is a method of soft drying of substances, in which the dried preparation is frozen and then placed in a vacuum chamber, where the solvent is sublimated.
In addition, Moderna is currently developing a vaccine against monkeypox: it is at the stage of clinical trials. It is not yet known when they started.
Is there a monkeypox vaccine in Russia?
There is no specific vaccine against monkeypox yet.But Natalya Pshenichnaya, deputy director for clinical and analytical work at the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor, said that if a person is vaccinated against smallpox, then his immunity will also cope with monkeypox.
Today in Russia there are three different smallpox vaccines:
Dry live smallpox vaccine. It contains a weakened virus, which can cause disease if a sharp weakening of the immune system occurs.
Dry inactivated smallpox vaccine. It has viruses that have grown on the skincalves and then killed by exposure to cobalt-60. This vaccine is considered the safest, so it was previously used to vaccinate children from the age of one. After the first time, it must be re-introduced after 1-2 weeks.
Live smallpox vaccine tablets. It is used only for repeated vaccination, since the viruses in it are very active.
Today, mass vaccination against smallpox is not carried out in Russia, since the infection was eradicated back in 1980.
Are there any medicines specifically for monkeypox?
So far there are no specific drugs that fightonly with monkeypox, no. There is an antiviral drug Tecovirimat, which is used orally. It was approved by the FDA in 2018 to treat smallpox, but there is no evidence that it is effective against monkeypox.
When severe cases of monkeypox develop, two other therapeutic agents can be used: the antiviral cidofovir and a monoclonal antibody called vaccine immunoglobulin.
Does everyone need a vaccine?
Not really.Not all monkeypox patients need to be hospitalized; many recover on their own without additional treatment or without consulting a doctor. Three weeks are enough for the patient to fully recover.
In the UK, citizens are advisedGet vaccinated if you come into contact with an infected person. Such patients are advised to remain in quarantine for up to 21 days. US President Joe Biden said that America would not impose such restrictions, since vaccines are available to everyone who has been affected by the virus.
Are there enough vaccines?
In England, the UKHSA announced that it had already distributed about 1,000 doses of Jynneos vaccines to people who had been in contact with those infected. The company noted that only 3,500 doses remained in the inventory.
The US government is being asked to release Jynneos vaccines from the US Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) and distribute to the public. But there are only a few thousand doses.
The US government has already placed an order forproduction of additional Jynneos vaccines. On May 18, 2022, the government exercised contract options to buy a lyophilized version of the Jynneos vaccine.
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