Faced with the rise in monkeypox cases and the difficulties in tracing the chains of infection, France announced on Friday the extension of vaccination, which, like other countries, is now offered preventively to the most exposed groups, especially homosexuals.
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It joins this approach of the UK, US or Canada, as called for by LGBTQ+ associations, health professionals and left-wing parties.
Until then, vaccination was only offered to adults, including caregivers, who had risky contact with a patient. About 700 people were vaccinated.
But “given the spread of the monkeypox virus, the kinetics of the epidemic and the difficulties in tracing the contacts of infected people”, the High Authority for Health (HAS) recommended extending vaccination in order to be able to apply it preventively to those most exposed through “their sexual practices or occupation.”
France has had 721 cases, including 4 women and 2 children, mostly in Île-de-France, according to the latest Public Health France report published on Thursday.
As in other countries, the majority of reported cases involve men who have sex with men.
The possibility of preventive vaccination concerns “men who have sex with men and trans people who report multiple sexual partners, people in a situation of prostitution, workers in places of sexual consumption,” specified the HAS.
The government hopes to start vaccinations “from the beginning of next week”, Health Minister François Braun said on Friday.
The vaccine is given in two doses 28 days apart. A single dose is sufficient for people who have been vaccinated against smallpox in the past. A third is recommended for the immunocompromised.
The monkeypox virus can be transmitted through direct contact with a patient’s skin or mucosal lesions, as well as through droplet infection. “Sexual intercourse, with or without penetration, meets these conditions for contagion, and having multiple partners increases the risk of exposure to the virus,” Public Health France reminded.
Contamination can also occur through contact with the patient’s environment (bed linen, clothing, bath linen, etc.). At this stage, cases reported in Europe are mostly mild and no deaths have been reported. This viral disease usually heals spontaneously after 2 to 3 weeks.
Outside central and west African countries, where the virus is endemic, an unusual surge in cases has been noted since May, with about 6,000 cases recorded worldwide, according to the WHO.
With more than 80% of cases, Europe remains by far the most affected region. Germany, the UK and Spain are the hardest-hit countries, each with more than 1,000 cases.