Uno unanswered question. How many vials of vaccine does France have to stem the nascent monkeypox epidemic? While at least 1,837 cases have been diagnosed in France, health authorities are now promoting the vaccine to protect populations at risk. In this context, The Parisian wondered about the precise number of doses of vaccine available to France. Indeed, for the time being, the executive wants to be reassuring by affirming that the country has a “very substantial stock”. Without further details. And for good reason, according to our colleagues, the information is simply classified as “secret-defense”.
“The classification of this information is based on the fact that smallpox is a pathogen that has now been eradicated”, begin by explaining the services of the Ministry of Health. Indeed, officially, on December 9, 1979, an international commission endorsed the eradication of this disease from the face of the earth. Since then, only samples of the virus are still kept by a very small handful of laboratories around the world: one in Russia and another in the United States. And it is because of this last point that the French government intends to remain discreet about its vaccine stocks. “(The virus is today) likely to constitute an agent of the terrorist threat. The classification of this information is made to protect the French and the interests of France against this threat, ”explains the ministry to our colleagues.
An explanation which had been confirmed, a few moments earlier, Wednesday July 27, by the Minister of Health himself. “The stock is secret-defense, as smallpox is recognized as a biological weapon. We know it could be used in a conflict. It is therefore part of the state’s reserve stocks, ”he explained on France Info.
��Monkey pox vaccine
“The stock is a defense secret because smallpox is recognized as a biological weapon”, declares François Braun, Minister of Health, who indicates that “there is a very substantial stock” of vaccine doses. pic.twitter.com/nQ08Yl1OCa
— franceinfo (@franceinfo) July 27, 2022
READ ALSONaming a disease, a real headache
The bioterrorism threat is very real
Indeed, in recent years, many scientists around the world have managed to synthesize the smallpox virus in the laboratory, at little cost. Their goal ? Demonstrate to international powers that the implementation of security measures is imperative. Thus, two Canadian researchers had managed – in 2021 – to create the smallpox virus in the laboratory for less than 100,000 dollars.
At the same time, we must not forget that when it comes to States, the means are even greater and disproportionate. The United States suspects several countries of carrying out programs of this kind, such as Russia or North Korea. Nevertheless, these are only theories of which nothing allows to say, today, if they are founded or not. On the other hand, it is established that discoveries of smallpox virus vials have already been made in several places around the world. For example, in 2014, a box full of sealed virus-containing vials was found on a college campus in the eastern United States. Fortunately, no casualties. Ditto in 2021, in another American laboratory.
READ ALSOMonkey pox: “This circulation of the disease is completely new”