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WHO to convene Emergency Committee on global monkeypox situation

Geneva, Jun 14 (Prensa Latina) The World Health Organization (WHO) will convene an Emergency Committee on Thursday next week to assess whether the monkeypox outbreak is a global health emergency of international concern, as confirmed by the WHO's Director-General Tedros Adhanom.

That is the highest level of warning issued by the UN agency, which currently applies only to the Covid-19 pandemic and polio.

There have been 1,600 confirmed and 1,500 suspected cases of monkeypox this year and 72 deaths, WHO said, in 39 countries, including those where the virus usually spreads.

“Although chickenpox vaccines can provide protection, there is little clinical data on their effectiveness and not a large supply of these,” the WHO stressed, warning that the global outbreak is “unusual and worrying.”

The monkeypox virus has been affecting more and more nations, so a coordinated response is required due to geographical spread and having the emergency committee met will allow us to deliberate on different decisions with experts.

The WHO published on Tuesday a new immunization guideline to fight monkeypox outbreak, providing the first suggestions on the use of (anti-smallpox) vaccines.

The WHO´s purpose to halt the outbreak is to monitor it and effectively use public health measures to prevent its spread, the WHO informed.

The world has no a specific vaccine to fight the disease, but some data shows that immunizers used to eradicate smallpox are up to 85% effective against the monkeypox.

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