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EU eyes smallpox vaccine for monkeypox, says regulator

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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="This undated electron microscopic (EM) handout image provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention depicts a monkeypox virion, obtained from a clinical sample associated with the 2003 prairie dog outbreak. It was a thin section image from a human skin sample. On the left were mature, oval-shaped virus particles, and on the right were the crescents, and spherical particles of immature virions. Cynthia S. Goldsmith/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, AFP" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/overseas/06/02/20220602-electron-microscopic.jpg"/><figcaption>This undated electron microscopic (EM) handout image provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention depicts a monkeypox virion, obtained from a clinical sample associated with the 2003 prairie dog outbreak. It was a thin section image from a human skin sample. On the left were mature, oval-shaped virus particles, and on the right were the crescents, and spherical particles of immature virions. Cynthia S. Goldsmith/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, AFP</figcaption></figure></div>The European Union&#x27;s drug watchdog is in talks with the maker of a vaccine against deadly smallpox to extend its use to monkeypox, a senior official said Thursday.The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said it was working with the manufacturer of the Imvanex jab &quot;out of precaution&quot; to ensure it had supplies if needed.&quot;Despite the outbreak being rather unprecedented in Europe, at present this is not a public health emergency,&quot; EMA vaccines chief Marco Cavaleri said.Monkeypox is related to smallpox, which killed millions around the world every year before it was eradicated in 1980, but has far less severe symptoms.The WHO says more than 550 monkeypox cases have been confirmed in 30 countries outside the West African nations where it is endemic since the start of May.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/01/22/doh-pilipinas-handa-sakaling-makapasok-ang-monkeypox">DOH: Pilipinas handa sakaling makapasok ang monkeypox</a></li></ul>Imvanex, made by Danish firm Bavarian Nordic, was authorised by the EMA in 2013 for smallpox, but the maker did not apply at the time for its use against monkeypox.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/05/31/22/who-no-concern-yet-monkeypox-will-cause-pandemic">WHO: No concern yet monkeypox will cause pandemic</a></li></ul>&quot;The EMA emergency task force is in talks with (maker) to prepare for the submission of data that could support an extension of indication&quot; to monkeypox, Cavaleri said.Animal data showed that Imvanex was &quot;effective&quot; against monkeypox, he added.The vaccine would most likely be given to close contacts of people infected with monkeypox to prevent its spread.The EMA hoped the firm could apply &quot;as soon as possible&quot;, Cavaleri said, without giving a timeframe.The watchdog was also ready to discuss how to increase manufacturing capacity, given that smallpox jabs are in short supply due to its eradication more than four decades ago, he said.The European Commission told AFP last week it was already working on centralising purchases of vaccines and treatments for monkeypox.The US has said it has around 1,000 doses of Imvanex, where it is known as JYNNEOS and is already authorised for smallpox.dk/ach © Agence France-Presse<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2061584" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

Monkeypox is related to smallpox, which killed millions around the world every year before it was eradicated in 1980, but has far less severe symptoms.