First batch of monkeypox vaccine to arrive later this month
Thailand’s first batch of monkeypox vaccine will arrive in the second half of this month, the Disease Control Department (DCD) said on Tuesday. The batch of 1,000 doses will be used to protect people seen as vulnerable to the virus, said DCD chief Opas Karnkawinpong.
He said the DCD was coordinating with the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) to buy third-generation monkeypox vaccine, which is easy to administer and has few side effects.
A public health committee would decide which vulnerable groups should be prioritised for vaccination with the doses, he added.
By late July, 22,816 confirmed cases of monkeypox had been recorded in 76 countries. The five countries with highest number of confirmed cases are the United States (5,189 cases), Spain (4,386), Germany (2,595), UK (2,469) and France (1,955).
Thailand has recorded two confirmed cases. A total of 42 people are thought to have come into close contact with the two cases. So far, 33 of the close contacts have been traced and tested negative. The Public Health Ministry also detected another 30 suspicious cases but all tested negative for monkeypox.
