DRC - Outbreak of monkeypox in Tshuapa: 3,000 health workers vaccinated

[Pathfinder]

Translation Google

Tshuapa: 3,000 health workers vaccinated against the Monkey-pox virus

Published Mon, 22/05/2017 - 16:33 | Modified on Mon, 22/05/2017 - 16:33

Three thousand health care providers from Tshuapa have been receiving monkey-pox vaccine since 1 May.

The head of the provincial division of Health, Dr Jean-Paul Mateta, told Radio Okapi on Monday (May 22nd) that this vaccination targets the Boende, Wema and Bokungu health zones, where 99 people have skin lesions due to contracting this disease. Five people died in the first quarter of 2017.

According to him, health workers who are in daily contact with patients are affected by this operation.

"We are in the process of vaccinating all providers for protection. We will continue to do the sampling every two weeks first and every month to find out if the providers have come in contact with the virus or not. And see if they have developed the disease, "he explained.

Monkey pox is manifested by skin lesions on a human as a result of direct contact with the diseased animal in a rural area.

http://www.radiookapi.net/2017/05/22...rus-monkey-pox


------------------------------------------------------------

There is no vaccine for monkeypox. The vaccine mentioned in this article is perhaps the smallpox vaccine?

WHO -
Monkeypox

Fact sheet
November 2016

...
Treatment and vaccine
There are no specific treatments or vaccines available for monkeypox infection, but outbreaks can be controlled. Vaccination against smallpox has been proven to be 85% effective in preventing monkeypox in the past but the vaccine is no longer available to the general public after it was discontinued following global smallpox eradication. Nevertheless, prior smallpox vaccination will likely result in a milder disease course.
...
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs161/en/

----------------------------------------------------------------
CDC -
Smallpox Vaccine Guidance

When properly administered before exposure to monkeyox, smallpox vaccine is effective at protecting people against monkeypox .
...
Because monkeypox virus is closely related to the virus that causes smallpox, the smallpox vaccine can protect people from getting monkeypox. Past data from Africa suggests that the smallpox vaccine is at least 85% effective in preventing monkeypox.
...
https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeyp...x-vaccine.html