India may opt for ‘ring vaccination’ to tackle monkeypox

An official with knowledge of the plans said that instead of mass vaccination, India could vaccinate monkeypox patients and close contacts of healthcare workers. The so-called ‘ring vaccination’ strategy has already been adopted by the US and some European countries.

There have been nine confirmed cases of monkeypox in India so far, and the central government believes that at present, the general population does not need to be vaccinated. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) National Institute of Virology in Pune isolated the monkeypox strain and invited pharma companies to explore options for development of vaccines and diagnostic kits.

“Ring vaccination means that if a person is infected, his immediate contacts are vaccinated to prevent further spread of the disease. Therefore, as of now, vaccination is not recommended in general in any country. But as far as monkeypox is concerned, we can opt for the ring vaccination strategy; However, we have not taken any call on it,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

ICMR wants private players to decide whether they want to manufacture the vaccine or not, given that the vaccine is not for mass use, the official said. “However, to be safe, the Union Ministry of Health and Welfare may procure some vaccines which are already available, but will not issue any guidelines for mass vaccination,” the official said.

Emailed queries to a health ministry spokesperson were answered.

“Monkeypox requires symptomatic treatment and the World Health Organization has not authorized any drug to treat monkeypox,” the official said. It is a self-limiting disease that does not require any specific treatment.”

Although the US FDA has approved only one drug Tecovirimat for the treatment, it is not approved by the Indian regulatory authorities.

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