Heemstede/Bloemendaal – Monkeypox (monkeypox) is a viral infection. You must have heard about it in the various media. The virus is not dangerous for most people, but it is contagious and very annoying. In Kennemerland, infections have now also been reported, says GGD Kennemerland. Monkeypox spreads most easily through intensive skin-to-skin contact. Think of intimate contact such as kissing, making love and sex. The vast majority of infected people are male. Most people heal on their own within a few weeks. In the meantime, they can pass on the virus. The GGD tests people with complaints, gives advice and will soon start a vaccination campaign.
This is how you recognize monkeypox
If you have monkeypox, you will often first experience a fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, or fatigue. These symptoms start 5 to 21 days after you got the virus. After a few days, you will develop a rash that may spread over your body and face. The rash begins with spots that turn into blisters that eventually dry up.
Testing for monkeypox
Call your doctor if you think you have monkeypox (monkeypox). Your GP can discuss with the GGD whether you should be tested for monkeypox at the GGD. If necessary, you can usually come the same day or the day after and will only be tested for monkeypox. You will usually receive the results within 48 hours.
If you suspect that you have also contracted an STI, you can also call the Sexual Health Center (CSG) yourself to make an appointment. You will then be tested for STDs in addition to monkeypox. The number of places for this is limited.
Personal invitation for vaccination
Everyone who is eligible for a vaccination will receive a personal invitation from GGD Kennemerland. The first invitations will be sent in August. Without a personal invitation, people are currently not eligible for a vaccination.
Vaccination campaign
The selection criteria for those who are eligible for the vaccine have been formulated by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport and the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). The GGD uses their own database to send invitations to the people they know. In this way, the people who run the greatest risk of infection are reached. This concerns:
· Anyone who is registered with the Center for Sexual Health or with the general practitioner as a Prep user or who are on the waiting list for this.
· Then it is the turn of people who live with HIV and who are registered and who have a greater chance of having monkeypox.
Usually not dangerous
It is the first time that a monkeypox virus is circulating in Europe. Not everything is known yet. The virus can be deadly for people with very weak immune systems, but that almost never occurs in Europe. It can make you sick for a while. You will heal on its own after a few weeks. There are also medicines that help.
Source: GGD Kennemerland
Photo above: Monkeypox/monkeypox on hands
Photo below: Vaccine against monkeypox/monkeypox Images: Bigstock