At present, immunization of the population against smallpox is not on the agenda due to the low pandemic potential of the monkeypox virus. This statement was made on Friday, June 17, on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), the head of Rospotrebnadzor Anna Popova.
“There is no need for immunization now,” she said in an interview with RIA Novosti.
The head of the oversight agency pointed out that the monkeypox virus has long been known and well studied, adding that, according to the unanimous opinion of scientists, this virus does not have pandemic potential.
According to her, there is a smallpox vaccine, it is available, and a new one will be registered soon.
On the eve of Popova, she said that she did not see any serious risks for Russians of contracting monkeypox. At the same time, control has already been strengthened at all checkpoints to Russia, since the infection can only be imported. The head of Rospotrebnadzor also noted that in the Russian Federation there is already a test system for determining this disease, and another one is out of registration.
Earlier on June 16, on the sidelines of the SPIEF, Director of the Center. Gamalei Alexander Gintsburg said that Russia needs a vaccine against monkeypox, as the number of cases is growing in the world.
On the eve of June 15, Russian Minister of Health Mikhail Murashko announced that there was no need for mass vaccination in the fight against the spread of monkeypox. At the same time, a vaccine against the disease is currently under development. Also a day earlier, it became known that in Moscow, ambulance doctors began to be tested for knowledge of the principles of diagnosing monkeypox.
At the same time, Hans Kluge, Director of the WHO Regional Office for Europe, said that Europe is still the epicenter of the outbreak of monkeypox, as experts have identified more than 1.5 thousand cases of infection on its territory – 85% of all recorded to date in the world.
Rospotrebnadzor assessed the likelihood of the spread of the disease in the Russian Federation as low. At the same time, the department advised the Russians to avoid contact with primates and rodents – potential carriers of the virus.
The monkeypox virus began to spread in several countries of Western Europe and on other continents. Cases of infection were recorded, in particular, in Australia, Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, Spain, Canada, Italy, Portugal, France, USA, Sweden, Switzerland, Morocco, Brazil, Latvia, Georgia and other countries.