Europe(Washington Insider Magazine)-The European Union has determined that neither border controls nor a large-scale vaccination campaign are necessary given the current Mpox situation. This decision was reached by the European Commission’s Health Security Committee (HSC) on August 19 after consulting the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
A spokesman for the European Commission said that the HSC concurred that the situation did not warrant updating the 2022 opinion on the Mpox vaccination or classifying it as a public health emergency in Europe. The group chose not to suggest vaccinations for the broader public, but it did stress the need for ongoing collaboration and careful situational monitoring.
Focus on Surveillance and Information
The potential necessity for coordinated EU actions was discussed at the meeting; however, both border surveillance for visitors from high-risk areas and vaccination programs for the general public were eventually ruled out. The EU has concluded that the risk to its population remains low, even though the WHO recently declared mpox a global health emergency due to an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and nearby African countries.
Preparedness Measures in Place
According to Euronews, the ECDC has warned that additional imported mpox cases may occur in Europe due to the virus’s spread in several African nations, even though it has ruled out strict measures. The organization advises keeping up high readiness levels to handle any cases that surface in Europe, including efficient testing, surveillance, and contact tracing.
The health agency warns that mpox is transmitted to people by close contact with infected animals or people, or by touching virus-contaminated materials. Mobox enters the body through (often invisible) injuries or wounds in the skin, or the mucous membranes. It can be passed from one person to another during sexual contact and the risk of infection increases after sexual exposure.
