DOH coordinating with WHO to gain access to vaccines vs. monkeypox

The Department of Health (DOH) is already coordinating with the World Health Organization (WHO) for the possible procurement of vaccines against monkeypox, a virus recently declared as a “public health emergency of international concern.”

In a radio interview, DOH officer-in-charge Dr. Maria Rosario Vergeire said the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) already registered the smallpox vaccine as a tool to be used against monkeypox.

However, she said the supply of this vaccine is currently limited.

“Ang ating issue ngayon o challenge, kakaunti o limitado ang supplies ng monkeypox vaccine na ito kaya tayo ay nakikipagusap ngayon sa mga partners natin tulad ng WHO at iba pa para sa kung saka-sakaling matulungan nila tayo to access o ‘di kaya madonate-an tayo,” she said.

(Our current issue or challenge is that the supplies of the monkeypox vaccine are limited. We are now talking to our partners such as WHO and others to see if they can help us access or donate to us some vaccines.)

The DOH earlier said the smallpox vaccine has been proven to be “85% effective” in preventing monkeypox.

Vergeire, however, clarified that individuals who had chickenpox before are not immune to monkeypox.

“Iba ang bulutong dito sa monkeypox. You will not be immune from monkeypox if you had chickenpox before. Hindi po gano’n ang ating proseso para sa sakit na ito (chickenpox is different from monkeypox and we have different processes for both of them),” she said.

Other vaccines

At the Palace public briefing, Vaccine Expert Panel (VEP) chief Dr. Nina Gloriani said that aside from the smallpox vaccine, there are other vaccines being developed against monkeypox but are not available to the general public yet.

“May live attenuated [vaccine], buhay pero weakened at it can replicate. So medyo mas marami tayong ine-expect na side effects do’n o adverse effects lalo na sa immunocompromised o sa elderly,” she said.

“May bago, last 2019 lang na bakuna na na-approve. Ito ‘yung live attenuated din, buhay din, weakened, pero hindi siya dumadami. Hindi siya nagmu-multiply ‘pag ibinigay sa tao, so mas maganda ang kanyang safety profile,” she added.

(There is a live attenuated vaccine but weakened and can replicate. We expect more side effects or adverse effects for this vaccine especially for the immunocompromised and the elderly. There is also another new vaccine approved in 2019. It is also live attenuated and weakened, but does not multiply when given to humans. Its safety profile is better.)

The WHO on Saturday declared the monkeypox outbreak, which has affected nearly 16,000 people in 72 countries, to be a global health emergency — the highest alarm it can sound.

According to DOH, monkeypox is a virus transmitted to humans through close contact with an infected person or animal, or contaminated materials. Some of its symptoms include fever, rashes, lymphadenopathy, or death.

“Ang monkeypox ay may 10% case fatality rate. Ibig sabihin, mataas din ang case fatality rate niya. Ngunit kung ito po ay maaagapan, of course the complications will not get in,” Vergeire said.

(Monkeypox has a 10% case fatality rate. This means that its case fatality rate is also high. But if this is prevented, of course the complications will not get in.)

So far, the Philippines has not yet detected a single case of the monkeypox virus.

Pending the country’s procurement of the monkeypox vaccine, Vergeire reminded the public that the same health protocols against COVID-19 such a washing of hands and physical distancing, can help protect themselves should the monkeypox virus enter the country. 

In June, a real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was set up by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) to detect possible monkeypox virus cases in the country.

“Genetic testing pa rin (this is also genetic testing). Maybe we should have more centers or laboratories doing the tests, pero right now, ang RITM and Philippine Genome Center. Sanay sila diyan (they are used to that),” Gloriani said. — RSJ, GMA News