Key facts
- Vaccines used during the smallpox eradication programme also provided protection against monkeypox. Newer vaccines have been developed of which one has been approved for prevention of monkeypox
- Monkeypox is caused by monkeypox virus, a member of the Orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae.
- Monkeypox is usually a self-limited disease with the symptoms lasting from 2 to 4 weeks. Severe cases can occur. In recent times, the case fatality ratio has been around 3–6%.
- Monkeypox is transmitted to humans through close contact with an infected person or animal, or with material contaminated with the virus.
- Monkeypox virus is transmitted from one person to another by close contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials such as bedding.
- Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease that occurs primarily in tropical rainforest areas of central and west Africa and is occasionally exported to other regions.
- An antiviral agent developed for the treatment of smallpox has also been licensed for the treatment of monkeypox.
- The clinical presentation of monkeypox resembles that of smallpox, a related orthopoxvirus infection which was declared eradicated worldwide in 1980. Monkeypox is less contagious than smallpox and causes less severe illness.
- Monkeypox typically presents clinically with fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes and may lead to a range of medical complications.
Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony said Thursday that only persons considered high-risk would be eligible for the monkeypox vaccine when it arrives here next month.
Guyana is expected to receive its first set of Imvamune vaccines for the viral infection by the end of September from Canada, through the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO).
Imvamune protects against orthopoxvirus infections such as monkeypox and smallpox.
Speaking during his COVID-19 update, Dr Anthony explained that individuals who have been exposed to the virus will be the first to be vaccinated.
“If someone is at high-risk, meaning that you would have been in close contact with somebody who has monkeypox, then your chances of getting monkeypox would be quite high.
“The criteria to administer the vaccine would be that the person must have been exposed, and be at high risk for getting monkeypox,” he said.
Dr Anthony explained that Imvamune is a modified vaccine and his ministry will be working to see how protective it is against monkeypox.
He said similar to the COVID-19 vaccine, there may be some temporary side effects to the monkeypox vaccine. These include swelling or redness at the vaccination site, headaches and some muscle pain.
Minister Anthony has urged residents to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves against the virus.
Currently, there are roughly 45,000 monkeypox cases and 13 deaths in some 96 countries.
Guyana recorded its first case earlier this week.
