Belgium buys monkeypox vaccines for 625 people

Belgium has agreed to take part in a European group purchase procedure to purchase 1,250 doses of monkeypox vaccine sufficient for 625 patients. There are so far six confirmed cases in Belgium. 

The vaccines will be acquired via the new European health crises authority “Hera,” an initiative taken by the European Commission to buy vaccines together.

“We want to use these vaccines in particular for health care providers who are at high risk after an exposure because they have not used personal protective equipment or where there is a risk of serious illness,” said Minister of Public Health, Frank Vandenbroucke.

According to a statement by Vandenbroucke’s cabinet, smallpox vaccination is considered after exposure to close contacts with an increased risk of severe disease, for health care providers responding to the outbreak and to control infection clusters.

The doses that have been bought are of the third-generation ImvanexTM smallpox vaccine, which has some cross-protection against monkeypox. Although the medicine still has to be fully certified for European use, Belgium signed up for the group buy of a small stock.

Vandenbroucke agreed to the purchase of 1,250 doses for Belgium, although a total of 50,000 vaccines were agreed for the EU bloc, of which 30,000 can be delivered to EU Member States almost immediately. The other doses will be delivered in the coming weeks and months.

“Close cooperation with other European Member States allows us to act quickly,” Vandenbroucke said.

(VIV)

© BELGA PHOTO (PHOTO HATIM KAGHAT) Vice-prime minister and Public Health and Social Affairs minister Frank Vandenbroucke at press conference