Europe: Belgium has agreed to take part in a European group purchase procedure, through which it will purchase 1,250 doses of the monkeypox vaccine, enough for 625 patients.
The disease is spreading in multiple European Union nations as well as there are so far six confirmed cases in Belgium. Another probable cause is awaiting the result of the PCR test.
Belgium has now bought enough vaccines to treat 625 individuals in anticipation of a wider spread.
The Minister of Public Health Frank Vandenbroucke mentioned in the statement, “We want to use these vaccines in particular for health care providers who are at high risk after an exposure because they have not used personal protective equipment or where there is a risk of serious illness.”
Moreover, the doses that have been bought are of the third-generation ImvanextM smallpox vaccine, which has some cross-protection against the virus monkeypox. Although the medicine still has to be fully certified for European use, Belgium signed up for a group buy of a small stock.
As per the statement by Vandenbroucke’s cabinet, smallpox vaccination is considered after exposure to close contacts with an increased risk of severe disease for health care providers responding to the outbreak as well as controlling infection clusters.
Along with this, the nation will acquire the vaccines through the new European health crises authority “Hera,” as well as an initiative that has been taken by the European Commission to buy vaccines together through this authority.
In addition, Vandenbroucke agreed to the purchase of 1,250 doses for Belgium. However, a total of 50,000 vaccines were decided for the bloc, of which 30,000 can be delivered to the EU Member States almost immediately. The other doses will be given in the coming weeks and months.
Furthermore, “Close cooperation with the other European Member States allows us to act quickly,” Vandenbroucke highlighted in the statement.
