Bern has ordered 100,000 doses of monkeypox vaccine. A contract was concluded with the company Bavarian Nordic. The first deliveries are scheduled for November.
A total of 40,000 doses will be used to stem the spread of the disease, the Federal Office of Public Health wrote in a press release on Friday. Another 60,000 doses were purchased by the army; these will be delivered in 2023, specifies the FOPH.
The Army Pharmacy will then distribute them to the cantons. Vaccination procedures and more precise information to the population fall within the competence of the latter. In addition, the target group will be informed as before in collaboration with Swiss Aids.
More than 500 cases
To date, more than 500 cases of monkeypox have been recorded in Switzerland, almost exclusively in men. The cantons of Vaud, Geneva and Zurich are the most affected. The number of new cases per week is decreasing, both in Switzerland and in Europe.
It is not yet known whether the vaccine protects once morest all symptoms of the disease, or whether it prevents transmission. A vaccinated person might still develop symptoms. For this reason, driving recommendations remain important. Anyone can protect themselves by avoiding bodily contact with infected people.
The costs of the vaccine will be temporarily borne by the Confederation, further specifies the FOPH. Compulsory healthcare insurance should then cover them.
Pink Cross relieved
The umbrella association of homosexual organizations Pink Cross said it was relieved that the vaccine is now within reach and that men who have sex with men can protect themselves from contamination.
According to her, the unsatisfactory acquisition process should, however, be the subject of an analysis. In neighboring countries, vaccination once morest monkey pox has already been underway since mid-July.
In Switzerland, vaccination will therefore begin more than three months following the EU and other countries such as Canada or the United States, “without it being clear when and where it will be available”, deplores the association. Pink Cross also calls on the cantons to offer simple and “stigmatization-free” access to vaccination once morest this disease.
This article has been published automatically. Source: ats
