Segovia, wary but unfazed by monkeypox

The memory of COVID and its catastrophic social and economic consequences is still fresh in the mind, and the outbreaks of monkeypox registered in Spain are once again generating doubts and uncertainty among the population about the possibility that this pathology could repeat the effects of Coronavirus. But the evolution of the transmission of this disease and the control by state and regional health authorities today eliminate any doubts, and according to a health professional consulted by this editorial team, MonkeyPox (in its acronym MPox) “takes, but “It doesn’t bother”.

According to statistics from the General Directorate of Public Health of the Junta of Castilla y León, since the WHO declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern in July 2022, the number of cases registered in Segovia has not been particularly significant, since of the 92 cases registered in the region to date – including the one registered this week in Salamanca – only two were in the province, both in the summer of 2022, and were of a previous variant of the disease.

Since then, no further cases have been registered in the province, following the downward trend recorded in Castilla y León.

Public Health Director-General Sonia Tamames noted this week that of the total number of cases reported, 85 occurred in 2022, two in 2023 and five so far in 2024, and stressed that they are always talking about cases known as “clade 2,” which are usually mild cases, “except for people with severe immunosuppression, which are usually associated with very high-risk sexual practices.”

The General Directorate does not provide detailed data by province, but the general data indicates that the highest number of cases is in Valladolid, where 37 have been recorded; Burgos is next, with 16 cases; León is in third place, with 13 cases; Salamanca has had nine; Palencia is fifth in the table with eight cases, while the other provinces – Ávila, Segovia, Soria and Zamora – have recorded two cases each.

Regarding the profile of patients with this disease, in terms of gender distribution, 90 cases were noted in men (98.9%) and one case in women (1.1%), while the age range was from 18 to 61 years, with an average age of 39 years.

Vaccination

Experts and health authorities agreed to stress the importance of vaccination as the most effective method of preventing the disease, especially in those risk groups that are most susceptible to contracting it.

In Segovia, since the beginning of the vaccination period, a total of 56 doses have been administered from 35 vials obtained from the two commercial brands that produce the vaccine (Jynneos and Imvanex) and supply it to health systems, without distinguishing between fractional and full doses, according to the Ministry’s data.
It should be noted that the recommended vaccination schedule for prophylaxis is two doses with a minimum interval of 28 days, and that at the beginning of the outbreak some patients received a single initial dose due to limited availability of doses.

Regarding this aspect, the Director General stressed that the vaccines allocated to Castilla y León by the Ministry of Health are “more than enough” to cover the demand, which is still limited to people with risky practices or professional contact with the disease, and a second dose for those who have started vaccination but have only received one dose.

“That’s why we have enough vaccines prescribed,” Tamames stressed, calling on all people at risk of infection to update their vaccination status if they have received a single dose or to get the guidance that corresponds to them.

Thus, in Castilla y León, people who have indications for vaccination will be able to do so through any point of the health system, both public and private, in those centers that have authorization to vaccinate, and it will be checked whether they meet the requirements to receive it, and if so, Public Health will “provide the appropriate doses.”

The low prevalence of infections in the province means that the Segovia health system is particularly concerned about this pathology, and there has been no serious consultation about the disease in primary care. Thus, health sources assured that “there are still people who are even more worried about COVID and its consequences, while monkeypox is still considered remote, although this is how the Coronavirus began.”

In addition, they note that the fact that a vaccine already exists and that risk groups have already been identified also gives a lot of peace of mind to the system, which maintains active surveillance and established protocols in the event of the virus appearing in a patient with symptoms consistent with the development of this disease.