Draft resolution Stiko recommends monkeypox vaccination for certain risk groups
Berlin · The Standing Commission on Vaccination recommends vaccination against monkeypox for certain people. Meanwhile, the number of cases in Germany continues to rise.
Adults who have had close contact with a monkeypox-infected person or who have an increased risk of infection should receive vaccination against monkeypox in the future, according to the findings of the Standing Commission on Vaccination (Stiko).
The Stiko published the recommendation. The draft resolution of the recommendation must now go through a so-called commenting procedure with the federal states and involved experts, so it is not yet a final recommendation.
Unusual increase in monkeypox infections
The reason for the recommendation is the unusual increase of monkeypox infections in numerous European countries over the past few weeks. In Germany, according to the Robert Koch Institute, as of Thursday, 131 infections have been registered, so far exclusively in males. The day before, there were 113. In the EU, the smallpox vaccine Imvanex is approved, which can also be used to protect against monkeypox, writes the Stiko in its statement.
According to the panel's determination, the vaccination should now be given to adults who have had "close physical contact via non-intact skin or via mucous membranes" with an infected person or prolonged "unprotected face-to-face contact". The latter are people who have spent prolonged periods of unprotected time near an infected person, with a distance of less than one meter. People who have come into contact with a sick person or the virus in medical care without protective equipment, and laboratory workers who have had accidental contact with monkeypox material are also to be vaccinated. Vaccination should be administered as soon as possible within 14 days.
These people are particularly at risk
The second group for whom vaccination should be recommended are people with an increased risk of exposure. The Stiko refers to men who have same-sex sexual contacts with varying partners. The reason for this recommendation is that cases in Germany have so far occurred exclusively among homosexual men. In addition, personnel from special laboratories may be eligible for precautionary vaccination.
Since the vaccine will initially be available only to a limited extent, people from the first group should receive preference for vaccination, according to Stiko. For basic immunization, two doses of vaccine are needed about a month apart, he said. People who have already been vaccinated against smallpox need only one dose. In addition to vaccination, other important measures to control the outbreak include early identification of cases and contacts, rapid isolation and quarantine, and education of at-risk groups.
(Orig. text: dpa / Translation: ck)
