No need to purchase vaccines against Mpox, says Kazakh Health Ministry

The Kazakh Health Ministry said that the monkeypox situation is stable, as not a single Mpox case has been reported in Kazakhstan. It added that there is no need to purchase vaccines against the disease, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.

In Central Asia, including Kazakhstan, there have been no imported cases of Mpox registered. The country is closely monitoring and tightening control at sanitary-quarantine centers on the state border. In this connection, there is no need to purchase vaccines, said the Sanitary Epidemiological Control Committee of the Health Ministry of Kazakhstan in its response to Kazinform News Agency correspondent’s query.

The Committee reminds tourists of the preventive measures against Mpox, recommending examining the situation in the region of arrival, avoiding contacts with sick individuals and animals, using masks and gloves when caring for the sick, seeking treatment and avoiding contacts at the first symptoms of the disease as well as in case developed symptoms in 21 days, immediately seeking medical care and reporting on trips.

To note, last week the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the approval of the MVA-BN vaccine, developed by Denmark’s Bavarian Nordic A/S. "This first prequalification of a vaccine against mpox is an important step in our fight against the disease, both in the context of the current outbreaks in Africa, and in the future," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

He stressed the need to scale up vaccine procurement and distribution to ensure equitable access for those most at risk.

Earlier it was reported that Africa had confirmed 22.8 thousand Mpox cases, with 622 deaths recorded so far.

The epidemiological situation is regarded as stable and under control in Kazakhstan. The country has so far reported no imported Mpox cases.

The Kazakh chief health officer signed the order to prevent importation of monkeypox cases in the country.