The Directorate General of Public Health (DGS) this Monday expanded the high-risk populations eligible for prophylactic monkeypox vaccination to include “history of multiple sexual partners in the past six months” as a criterion.
A review of eligibility criteria for pre-exposure vaccination against the virus (prophylactic) in people aged 18 years and older who have never been diagnosed with the infection is included in the DGS update published this Monday.
Under these new criteria, “Men who have sex with men (MSM), women and transgender people who are on pre-exposure prophylaxis for human immunodeficiency virus with a history of multiple sex partners may receive a prophylactic vaccine against the VMPX virus. the last six months.”
MSM and transgender people living with HIV who have had multiple sexual partners within the past six months are also eligible for this vaccination, as are MSM and transgender sex workers and MSM with severe immunosuppression.
The standard preserves the right of healthcare workers at high risk of infection involved in the collection and processing of biological products from cases of infection.
“The management of the pre-exposure vaccination logistics strategy remains at the level of each health region after the identification of eligible citizens, preferably in consultation with a specialist,” the DGS document says.
The only monkeypox vaccine available internationally is the third-generation smallpox vaccine produced by a Bavarian Scandinavian company and sold under the name Jynneos in the US and Imvanex in Europe.
In addition to preventive immunization, vaccination in Portugal extends to post-exposure contacts with infected people, which “is a priority and should not be delayed”, also refers to the regulation of the public health authority.
According to the latest data provided by DGS, 944 confirmed cases of monkeypox were detected in Portugal from 3 May to 26 October, but with a downward trend in new infections.
According to SHD, the most common symptoms of the disease are fever, severe headache, muscle pain, back pain, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes with a progressive appearance of rashes affecting the skin and mucous membranes.
A sick person is not contagious until complete healing and crusting of the skin lesions, a period that can eventually exceed four weeks.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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