“As a doctor, I orientate myself towards the recommendations of the Stiko and not the Minister of Health”
A dispute has broken out between the Ministry of Health and the Stiko about vaccination recommendations. “Of course, we don’t follow the recommendations of politicians,” says the virologist Schmidt-Chanasit. Meanwhile, the RKI is reporting a monkeypox infection in a child for the first time.
A total of 163,620 vaccine doses against monkeypox are available across the EU, but according to the EU Commission, the production capacities are finite. In the meantime, a new vaccination method against monkeypox has been approved in the USA in order to stretch the vaccine.
Dhe number of monkeypox cases in Europe continues to rise, but the vaccine is no longer sufficient in several countries. In Germany, more than 3,000 cases were reported for the first time, as the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced on Wednesday. The total of 3025 patients are mainly men. Eight women, two male adolescents and a four-year-old girl are also affected. The disease is transmitted through close physical contact, according to the RKI so far especially during sexual activities between men.
Belgium also reported monkeypox in a woman for the first time, the Sciensano health authority said on Wednesday. According to the latest data, 546 cases of monkeypox were confirmed there. In the country with more than 11 million inhabitants, people recently drove across the border to Lille in France to get a vaccination, the Belga news agency reported.
According to Health Minister François Braun, France has enough vaccine to vaccinate the target group of 250,000 people. Another 30,000 cans have been ordered in Belgium and are scheduled for delivery from October. To get the best possible protection, you need to be vaccinated twice.
A total of 163,620 vaccine doses are available across the EU for health emergencies via the new EU authority Hera, some of which have already been distributed to the member states. A spokesman for the EU Commission pointed out on Tuesday that the production capacities for the vaccine were limited.
Talks are currently being held with the companies concerned to clarify how capacity can be increased. Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke said the issue would have to be discussed at the next meeting with his EU counterparts.
The vaccine used against monkeypox is also becoming scarce in Great Britain. The broadcaster Sky News reported on Wednesday, citing insider sources, that the country only had a few thousand cans left in stock. In some regions it is no longer possible to book vaccination appointments. The Financial Times quoted a government letter saying new deliveries are not expected before September.
New vaccination strategy against monkeypox in the USA
In the fight against monkeypox, the US authorities have meanwhile approved a new vaccination method that is intended to provide the same amount of vaccine for more people. The method will “increase the total number of doses available by up to five times,” the US Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday. She has also approved the monkeypox vaccination for under-18s, who are considered to be particularly at risk of infection.
With the newly approved method, health workers can now administer the vaccine to people over the age of 18, namely through a so-called intradermal injection. It is injected into the upper layers of the skin and no deeper than with the previously common subcutaneous injection.
The FDA relies on data from a 2015 clinical study that showed participants who received an intradermal injection of one-fifth the dose had a similar immune response to those who received a full dose via subcutaneous injection.
So far, around 620,000 doses of the monkeypox vaccine from the German-Danish manufacturer Bavarian Nordic have been distributed in various US states. Another 440,000 doses have yet to be delivered, making up to 2.2 million injections possible with the new strategy. The US government has also ordered an additional five million doses of vaccine to be delivered starting in September and over the next year.
“Aha! Ten minutes of everyday knowledge” is WELT’s knowledge podcast. Every Tuesday and Thursday we answer everyday questions from the field of science. Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Deezer, Amazon Music, among others, or directly via RSS feed.