The Danish biotech business announced on Monday that the European Commission had authorized Bavarian Nordic’s Imvanex vaccine, which guards against smallpox, for use against monkeypox in the European Union.
The approval, according to Bavarian Nordic, followed “a good view” last week from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) and is recognized throughout the EU.
According to Paul Chaplin, chief executive of Bavarian Nordic, “the availability of an approved vaccine can considerably increase nations’ preparation to battle new illnesses, but only via investments and organized planning of the biological preparedness.”
The WHO (World Health Organization) designated the monkeypox outbreak a worldwide health emergency the day before to the announcement.
What is known about the vaccine Imvanex
In the United States and Canada, Imvanex is the only vaccine that has been authorized for use in preventing monkeypox; it was previously only permitted for use in treating smallpox.
A “non-replicating smallpox vaccine,” as described by Bavarian Nordic, was created in partnership with the US government.
The US government has made enormous investments over the previous 20 years, according to the business, which developed IMVANEX.
A vaccine to prevent monkeypox has seen significant demand over the past three months, driving up the share price of Bavarian Nordic by 122%.
The illness has long been widespread in West and Central Africa, but it began to spread to other nations in May of this year.
According to the WHO, more than 15,300 cases in 75 countries have now been verified in labs. Europe is the focal point of the ongoing outbreak.
What signs and symptoms manifest in monkeypox?
The WHO states that individuals who catch monkeypox experience a high temperature, a severe headache, swollen lymph nodes, back discomfort, and muscle aches.
1 to 3 days after the onset of a fever, lesions and a skin rash typically emerge. The face is where the rash appears the most frequently, although it can also show up on the palms of the hands and the bottoms of the feet.
Most people are able to heal on their own within a few weeks. Smallpox and monkeypox are similar, but monkeypox is less harmful and contagious.
Rephrased from DW by InfoArmed