Does the smallpox vaccine protect against the new outbreak of monkeypox?

The smallpox vaccine, cidofovir, ST-246, and vaccinia immune globulin (also known as vaccinia or VIG) can be used to control monkeypox, the CDC explains.

With the new outbreak of monkeypox in European countries and a few cases in the United States, authorities issued recommendations on how to protect themselves from the virus.

Read here: What are the symptoms of monkeypox or monkeypox?

ACAM200 and JYNNEOSTM (also known as Imvamune or Imvanex) are the two vaccines currently licensed in the United States to prevent smallpox, according to the Centers for Disease Control United States (CDC).

ACAM2000 It is given by injection by pricking the surface of the skin. After a successful inoculation, a lesion will develop at the vaccination site. The virus that grows at the site of this inoculation lesion can spread to other parts of the body or even to other people. People who get the ACAM2000 vaccine should take precautions to prevent the spread of the vaccine virus, say CDC.

JYNNEOSTM — also known as Imvamune or Imvanex — is the most recommended vaccine against monkeypox. It is administered as a live virus that does not replicate. It is given as two subcutaneous injections four weeks apart. There is no risk of spread to other parts of the body to other people. A single dose will not be enough, authorities warn. “People who receive JYNNEOS TM are not considered vaccinated until they receive both doses of the vaccine,” the CDC explains.

“Because the monkeypox virus is closely related to the virus that causes smallpox, the smallpox vaccine may also protect people against monkeypox,” the CDC says.

Experts also believe that vaccination after a monkeypox exposure may help make it less severe, according to the CDC.

There are no specific treatments or vaccines for monkeypox virus infection, although outbreaks can be controlled. In the past, the smallpox vaccine was 85% effective in preventing monkeypox, explains the World Health Organization (WHO).

However, the vaccine is no longer accessible to the public, since its production was suspended after the global eradication of smallpox. However, previous smallpox vaccination can contribute to a milder course of the disease.