B21 million approved for mpox vaccines

Vaccination only needed for high-risk organizations, say health leaders

(Photo: Reuters)
( Photo: Reuters )

The Department of Disease Control ( DDC ) has allocated a budget of 21 million baht to purchase 3, 000 doses of mpox vaccine.

The MVA-BN vaccination from Denmark is expected to arrive in four weeks and will be administrated to high-risk people, said Dr Thongchai Keeratihattayakorn, the director-general of the office.

The vaccination is meant to prevent the disease, which means that it is not required for everyone. It will be given to high-risk parties only under medical rules, he said.

The second high-risk party involves pre-exposure, which includes condition command staff working at international airports, borders place health-check units, health workers and personnel working at laboratories.

The second group involves post-exposure treatment, quite as people who have had close contact with mpox people.

According to Dr. Thongchai, the Disease Control Act gives the department the authority to buy medications or vaccines without requiring Food and Drug Administration approval in order to fight disease because no business has applied to buy the mpox vaccine into Thailand.

The MVA-BN vaccination has been modified from the smallpox vaccine, he said. Although it may not be 100 % effective at preventing diseases, it may reduce the severity of the illness, he said. The best way to stay healthy is to avoid making near contact with people who are suspected of being infected, he added.

Only those with seriously compromised immune systems, like those who have HIV/AIDS, are considered critically ill by the condition. All 13 incidents in the country have been associated with HIV/Aids people.

” We’ve found the price of the illness spreading is very minimal in the country, with merely 833 cases from January 2022 until then, comprising 812 in people and only 21 in women”, said Dr Thongchai.

” Diseases occur when quite close skin contact is made for a specific period of time, and most cases are found among men and sexual employees. Thus, it is not necessary to treat everyone”.