MoH in talks with PAHO to acquire smallpox vaccines

…younger population vulnerable

With the worldwide outbreak of monkeypox, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony stated that his Ministry is working with the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) to acquire smallpox vaccines to combat the possibility of a confirmed monkeypox case in Guyana.

“We are working to acquire the vaccine that is being produced in Denmark, but we’re working through PAHO. PAHO has been talking to the manufacturer and they are trying to secure doses for the Americas and out of the allocation that they are trying to secure, we would benefit from some of those allocations,” he said.
However, he stated that citizens 40 years and younger are more at risk of contracting monkeypox as they would not have gotten the smallpox vaccination since the last smallpox vaccine administration was conducted in 1980 after it was declared to be eradicated by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
He added that the smallpox vaccine would aid in the prevention of contracting the monkeypox disease.
“When we were doing the vaccination for smallpox, that gave you protective effect. If you were vaccinated for smallpox, it protected you against monkeypox because they are of the same family. But, in most of the world, smallpox is now being eliminated, so the last set of vaccines that have probably been given was around the 1980s.
“So, persons now, who are younger than 40, they don’t have any immunity against smallpox and against, obviously, monkeypox because they have not benefited from that type of vaccination. So, with this circulation of these cases going around, obviously, this younger population can be vulnerable. That’s what we’re seeing globally,” Dr Anthony explained.
He noted, however, that the Ministry is working on a plan to combat the possibility of an active monkeypox case here in Guyana with the formation of a monkeypox committee.
Meanwhile, in preparation for a possible outbreak of the disease, a series of workshops will be conducted in the new week to target groups of people who are at risk of contracting monkeypox. The workshops will begin on Monday, July 25.
“We have, the committee that is, have planned a series of workshops to meet with persons who we consider to be at risk. That series of workshops will commence from next week where we will be meeting with various at-risk groups,” he said.
Additionally, the Ministry is currently training persons on how to conduct monkeypox testing.
The Ministry is training laboratory staff, and one of the local staff members is engaged in training being conducted by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) for the Caribbean region.
“So, we are equipping the system to ensure that we can detect any cases if ever that happens.”
Further, he related that symptoms of the disease can appear about five days after a person is infected, and are similar to smallpox. The virus is not only spread through contact with monkeys but rodents and infected persons.
Monkeypox spreads differently from COVID-19. WHO encourages people to stay informed from reliable sources, such as national health authorities, on the extent of the outbreak in their community (if any), symptoms, and prevention.
Cases have been reported in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Canada, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Sweden, and Australia among others.