German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach expects the first 40,000 doses of monkeypox vaccine to be delivered in the first two weeks of June. A further 200,000 doses are expected to be delivered at a later date, the SPD politician told the ARD program “Bericht aus Berlin” on Sunday. He noted that the contract in this matter has already been signed, now the ministry is waiting for a response from the biotech company. “I assume, however, that we will have the vaccine very soon,” Lauterbach said.
Lauterbach: emerging cases of monkeypox virus are not the beginning of a new pandemic, but require an appropriate response
The minister once again stressed that he does not expect a new pandemic caused by this virus. “I don’t think monkeypox is a threat in the sense of a pandemic,” Lauterbach said. At the same time, however, he added that the spread of the disease should be limited.
Lauterbach had already announced early last week that 40,000 doses of smallpox vaccine had been ordered. The vaccine, called Imvanex, has been approved in the United States for use against monkeypox. The German health minister explained that the idea is to be prepared in case people who have had close contact with those infected with the virus need to be vaccinated.
Source: www.welt.de