July 16, 2022
21:42
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Public Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke on Saturday signed a contract with the Danish pharmaceutical firm Bavarian Nordic for the purchase of 30,000 vaccines against the monkeypox virus.
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Purchased bilaterally, these vaccines are in addition to the more than 3,000 doses that the Federal has received from the European Union, and which can be administered in nine reference centers in the country, to people who have had high-risk unprotected contact with an infected person. It is due to the low number of vaccines currently available and the uncertainty about deliveries that these strict conditions prevail.
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These vaccines should be provided from autumnstarting with a first delivery of 10,000 doses.
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With the purchase of 30,000 3rd generation Jynneos vaccines, some 15,000 additional people can be protected, including people at high risk of HIV and who are taking preventive treatment (PrEP) as such, as well as care providers in reference centres. But an opinion from the Superior Health Council is still necessary.
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“We raise awareness as much as possible, but the numbers continue to climb and we must be well prepared. As soon as we have received the additional doses, hopefully in the fall, we can invite more people at risk to be vaccinated,” said Vandenbroucke (Vooruit).
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According to the latest figures from Sciensano, a total of 224 confirmed cases and one probable case of monkeypox have been reported, mostly men between the ages of 20 and 65.
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