For the moment, the Ministry of Health excludes mass vaccination against monkeypox, limiting it to risk categories. This is what is expected from a circulation of the ministry released yesterday evening, which reads: “At the moment, the mode of contagion and the speed of spread, as well as the effectiveness of non-pharmacological measures, exclude the need for a vaccination campaign. mass”.
The vaccin will be distributed first to the 4 regions with the most cases: two thousand doses to Lombardy, 1,200 to Lazio, 600 to Emilia Romagna and 400 to Veneto. Furthermore, as requested, pending the next tranche of donation (currently scheduled for the second half of August), a portion of doses (multiples of 20 up to at 60 doses). A portion of the vaccine will remain stored at the Ministry of Health, for any emergencies, the circular states.
THE CIRCULAR
“Taking into account the current epidemic scenario and the limited availability of doses – continues the circular – the first high risk categories to which vaccination will initially be offered, as pre-exposure prophylaxis, are identified among: laboratory personnel with possible direct exposure to orthopoxvirus. gay, transgender, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM), who meet the following risk criteria: recent history (past 3 months) with multiple sexual partners; and / or participation in sex events of group; and / or participation in sexual encounters in local / club / cruising / saunas; and / or recent sexually transmitted infection (at least one episode in the past year); and / or habit of associating sexual acts with drug use chemicals (Chemsex) “.
These higher risk subjects, explains the ministry in the circular, “could be identified among those who refer to the Prep-Hiv clinics of the infectious disease centers and the Check Points, to the HIV centers and to the centers for the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, also using high-risk behavior indicators similar to those used to assess suitability for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, but applied regardless of the presence or absence of HIV infection. The involvement of LGBTQIA + associations and those for HIV is considered important. fight against HIV, in particular to promote correct information on the vaccination campaign. The vaccine offer strategy in favor of further target groups may be updated on the basis of the epidemiological trend and the availability of doses “.
“The currently available vaccine, Mva-bn (modified, non-replicating Ankara live vaccine virus, manufactured by Bavarian Nordic), is a vaccine distributed in the United States under the name of Jynneos, and authorized by the FDA for the prevention of smallpox and monkeypox in adult subjects at high risk of infection “.
Mva-Bn is also authorized in Canada, under the trade name Imvamune, and in Europe, under the trade name Imvanex. As reported by Ema, between the two products (Jynneos and Imvanex) there are small differences in terms of production process and quality specifications between the various marketing authorizations in the different regions, due to differences in the data sets, but which do not affect the final quality of the vaccine. More recently Ema has extended the indication of use of Imvanex (previously indicated only for smallpox) also for monkeypox.
SPALLANZANI
From Monday 8 August the Spallanzani Institute starts the vaccination for monkeypox for the categories indicated by the Circular of the Ministry of Health. Those who fall within the categories listed can book by sending an email to: [email protected]. For information on the eligible categories, you can read the Circular of the Ministry of Health here: https://bit.ly/monkeypoxvaxinmi.