Traveling to monkeypox affected areas. Do I need the vaccine?

The Ministry of Health and the Health Departments of the Autonomous Communities have decided that 100% of travellers to countries with cases of the disease will not be vaccinated. Mpox (new variant of monkeypox).

monkey poxAlso known as Mpox, it is usually spread through close contact with infected people, contaminated materials, or sometimes infected animals. It was first identified in humans in 1970.

On August 14, WHO announced public health emergency of international concern for the new new flash of this infectious disease.

Measures taken in Spain against monkeypox

Given this situation, the Public Health Commission (the coordination body between the government and the autonomous communities) met on August 21 to analyze the situation of monkeypox (formerly known as monkeypox) in Spain. Following the meeting, “it was decided to strengthen the measures to detect and control Mpox,” according to the Ministry of Health.

Thus, “the vaccination strategy remains for risk groups (people who engage in risky sexual practices, or people with occupational risks, such as working in clinics dealing with sexually transmitted diseases, working with laboratory samples of Mpox or cleaning places where risky sexual practices have taken place,” the ministry explains.

Do people travelling to affected countries need to get the Mpox vaccine?

“As for travelers, not 100% of travelers who go to countries where there are cases of the disease will be vaccinated. certain groups of travelers those who will be offered the vaccine depending on the trip and personal characteristics“they add at the Ministry of Health.

In addition, “the intention remains to work at the source to transfer doses to affected countries, which is a top priority for managing the international emergency.”

As for vaccines, “at the moment there are enough doses in stock. In addition, we can count on those that are in the strategic reserve,” the Ministry of Health stated.

During the previous monkeypox relapse in 2022, a total of 8,104 cases (of the previous Mpox variant) were confirmed in Spain.

Mpox: A New Variant of Monkeypox

Last week, Sweden confirmed the first case in Europe of a new variant of smallpox (formerly known as monkeypox).

As WHO reported on August 14, “the resurgence of monkeypox (smallpox) in Democratic Republic of the Congo and in a growing number of African countries constitutes a public health emergency of international concern,” the World Health Organization said.

“The resurgence of MPCS could spread further across African countries and possibly beyond the continent,” WHO adds.

WHO acknowledges that a few years ago, “smallpox was neglected in Africa, where it emerged and later caused a global outbreak in 2022. Now is the time to act decisively to prevent history from repeating itself.”

In Spain, the People’s Party has presented to the government’s Joint Commission for National Security a non-legal proposal to create a reserve of vaccines and strengthen controls at ports and airports in the face of a new health emergency.

According to the PP’s deputy organizing secretary, Carmen Funes, Spain has two million second-generation monkeypox vaccines that have expired and only half a million can be used in the population.

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