The World Health Organization (WHO) currently sees no need for mass vaccination against monkeypox. Measures such as hygiene and preventive sexual behavior would help contain the spread of the virus, Richard Pebody, head of the pathogen team at WHO Europe, told Reuters. The most important measures to combat the outbreak are tracing contacts and isolating those who are infected. Vaccine stocks are relatively limited.
Monkeypox is found mainly in Africa and very rarely elsewhere, making recent outbreaks in other parts of the world unusual, with more than 100 total confirmed and suspected cases. Symptoms include fever, headache, and skin rashes, which usually start on the face and spread to the rest of the body. The disease is usually mild.
After the occurrence of the first cases of monkeypox in Germany, specialists meanwhile see no new pandemic looming. “The danger situation is low because the virus is only passed on through close physical contact, i.e. through body fluids or crusts, and not through droplet infection such as sneezing, coughing or speaking,” said Tobias Tenenbaum, Chairman of the German Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases New Osnabrück newspaper. The corona-related vigilance will lead to the rapid identification of contact persons of infected people. There is “probably no new epidemic coming our way”.
The President of the Professional Association of Pediatricians (BVKJ), Thomas Fischbach, told the newspaper that the monkeypox virus is “far less contagious than Corona” and is almost only transmitted through “close physical contact and bodily fluids”. Children who, at least according to data from Africa, have a higher mortality rate are not among those with an increased risk of infection. Infectiologist Tenenbaum also does not expect any major spread among children and young people: “It is extremely unlikely that children in Europe will become infected with monkeypox in the current situation.” There are also no known cases “in which monkeypox has spread within families in Europe” https://www.sueddeutsche.de/wissen/.
On Tuesday afternoon, Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) wants to comment on the course of action after the occurrence of the first cases of monkeypox in Germany on the sidelines of the German Doctors’ Day in Bremen. Doctor President Klaus Reinhardt and President of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Lothar Wieler, will also attend the press conference.
The opposition Union parliamentary group called on Lauterbach to launch an education campaign. “Minister Lauterbach must inform the population about the risks of monkeypox through a detailed communication offensive in order to prevent unnecessary scaremongering,” said health politician Stephan Pilsinger (CSU) to the editorial network Germany. The German Hospital Society (DKG) warned to be vigilant. “Corona has taught us to take a very close look at developments worldwide. Because in a globalized world, not only goods spread quickly, but also diseases,” said association leader Gerald Gass to the RND. “But according to the current state of knowledge, we don’t have to fear a monkeypox pandemic.”