Govt looks to buy vaccine for monkeypox

Tuesday, 24 May 2022 06:30

The government is considering buying a vaccine to counter the monkeypox outbreak, but the Federal Health Office says there’s no need to panic.

There isn’t a specific vaccine for monkeypox – but existing smallpox vaccines are thought to be effective. But they haven’t been administered since the disease was eradicated in 1980. The last case of smallpox in Switzerland was in 1972.

The health office says that those who received a smallpox vaccine should have a level of protection against the disease.

While the EU has approved a smallpox vaccine for use against monkeypox – it hasn’t been cleared for use in Switzerland.

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