María del Mar Tomás, spokesperson for the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (Seimc).
The notification of first two deaths following the infection monkey pox in Spain, the recommendations on vaccination against the disease will not change. The Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (Seimc) is in favor of maintaining the current protocol which basically limits the administration of doses to close contacts of positive cases and to healthcare personnel.
The body has already issued an internal statement on its position at the end of July after the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies zoonotic viral diseases as international public health emergency. A document that they continue to take now as a roadmap for the implementation of the vaccination strategy. “It’s all the same. There has been no change.” Seimc sources acknowledged Medical writing.
The Seimc maintains a protocol focused on two large groups of candidates. On the one hand, there is a commitment to vaccination among risk people who did not have the disease. This is the case of those who maintain unsafe sexual practices or they have already infected with HIV and perform hospital follow-up. This niche would also include healthcare professionals who care for this group, laboratory staff who handle monkeypox testing, or workers who disinfect premises where risky relationships are held.
The second group is for close contacts of the disease They also pose a certain health risk. This is the case for people with immunosuppressionfinally Pregnant at any trimester of pregnancy population of children of all ages. The company recalled that the Imvanex vaccine was not intended for pregnant women in its file but “the disease in these patients may be more serious and cause sequelae”.
At the same time, his protocol also contemplates administering doses among health care workers or laboratory personnel who have had close contact with a distance. less than one meter in the same room without wearing the corresponding individual protection equipment (IPE).
“Vaccination should deepen the protection of all high-risk vulnerable patients, pregnant women and population groups with greater social interrelationships because of their work, their age or their social status”, concluded Microbiology in its July report, which is still relevant.
Spain reports 4,577 monkeypox infections
The maintenance of the protocol took place in a context marked by the resurgence of infections, after the Center for the Coordination of Health Alerts and Emergencies (CCAES) noted the number of positive cases up to 4,577 since the disease was first reported in Spain. Madrid, Catalonia and Andalusia are the most affected territories in absolute terms, although they are also those with the largest population.
As part of the centralized vaccine purchasing system, Spain corresponds to a total of 11,000 doses, of which 5,300 have already arrived. On this occasion, the Ministry of Health opted for a on-demand system with the autonomous communities so that each municipality requests the units it needs according to the detection of patients falling within the protocol.
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