PARIS (Reuters) – The populations most exposed to monkey pox should be offered vaccination, the High Authority for Health recommended on Friday in a press release.
“Faced with the spread of the ‘Monkeypox’ virus, the kinetics of the epidemic and the difficulties of tracing the contacts of infected people, the General Directorate of Health contacted the High Authority for Health on the relevance of extending vaccination , currently reactive”, she explains.
It notes that 577 cases had been identified on July 5 in France, including 387 in Île-de-France alone, a situation which justifies recommending “to offer vaccination against ‘Monkeypox’ in pre-exposure to people most exposed to the virus. “.
This viral disease, rare in Europe, was observed until now mainly in central and western Africa. The virus was first discovered in monkeys in 1958, hence its name.
The monkeypox virus (or “monkeypox”) is transmitted to humans through contact with wild animals, rodents or primates. But it is potential human-to-human transmissions, usually rare, that alert the medical profession.
The disease is manifested in a first phase by fever, headaches, joint and muscle pain, swollen glands. The second stage is a skin rash with blisters, which often begins on the face and then can spread to other parts of the body, including the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet and the genitals.
In its press release, the High Authority for Health targets “men who have sex with men and trans people who have multiple partners, people in prostitution, professionals working in places of sexual consumption” and judges that “the professionals who take care of sick people” could also consider vaccination.
(Written by Nicolas Delame)
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