the spokesperson for General Directorate of Health for monkeypox is not particularly concerned about the emergence of deaths in the Europe related to the disease. In less than 24 hours, the Spanish government announced that two people had died from the virus, but for Margarida Tavares this situation was already expected, even if it is a rare phenomenon.
“The probability of death among those who are infected is relatively low, less than 1%. As more cases are recorded, the probability of these very rare events occurring increases and I think that, for right now, that’s just it. We know little about the Spanish cases, I read in the press that, at least in one of the cases, a encephalitis, that is, an infection of the central nervous system, similar to meningitis, and which can occur with any virus, from influenza to herpes, etc. They can, at a certain moment, in a certain person, cause this complication and, normally, it is a serious situation and it can have this outcome”, he explained to the TSP Margarida Tavares.
The official warns that, although he is not surprised by the record of the first deaths in Europethe disease may progress.
“We will remain open to the possibility, as has happened at other times with other viruses, that there may be some difference in clinical presentation and even severity as the virus expands its usual geographic region. , as is currently the case for many years confined to Africa, Central and Western, mostly, but sometimes when these infections go elsewhere, there can be different forms of presentation. But, for the moment, this is not the reality that we see in our clinical practice. In the vast majority of cases, what we see are self-resolving cases, with a small number of lesions and with very insignificant clinical severity, however uncomfortable it may be,” guaranteed the door. -word of the General Directorate of Health for monkeypox.
Em Portugal, Margarida Tavares says monkeypox is stable, as in recent weeks there has been no significant increase in the number of cases. Yet the DGS is considering extending vaccination to people who have not been exposed to the disease but are at increased risk of coming into contact with the virus. the spokesperson for General Directorate of Health for monkeypox explains who could get the vaccine.
“We have to look at who has been the most affected people at the moment, and from there there could be several possibilities. Whether or not to include health workers, people who have several sexual partners, new partners or anonymous partners in the past This will still have to be considered, it is not defined,” the expert said.
Margarida Tavares stresses that this expansion of vaccination depends on the number of vaccines available in the Europe.
“For us and for many other countries, the main question is of course whether we can have more doses available or not and the definition of the populations to be covered will clearly depend on this. We have 2700 doses and vaccination, in most cases, should contain two doses for each person. It is easy to do the math, to understand that we have a reasonably small number and therefore must be very well considered, otherwise we have access to more doses. is exactly what is currently being considered and evaluated, both internally and with the European authority which is checking, with all the countries, how we can redistribute and acquire more vaccines in order to be able to change this strategy”, he said. added. Margarida Tavares.
For now, the plan is the same: it’s just to vaccinate those who have been in contact with people infected with monkeypox.