France should stockpile anti-smallpox vaccines in order to be ready for future outbreaks of monkeypox, the Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS) estimated on Tuesday January 3, while the State has always maintained vagueness on the actual state of these reserves.
“
HAS recommends building up strategic stocks of third-generation smallpox vaccines
,” sums up the authority responsible for guiding public health policy.
Epidemic in Europe and America in 2022
Officially called “
mpox
”, monkeypox had been present mainly in Africa for several decades.
But it caused an epidemic in multiple European and American countries in 2022;
this outbreak, which primarily affected men who have sex with men, has since largely subsided.
But the authorities are trying to establish how to properly fight against future epidemics of this disease, which results in particular in fever and a series of skin lesions.
As such, the HAS therefore recommends using, as was done last year, the latest generation of smallpox vaccines, in view of largely encouraging data on their effectiveness against mpox.
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On the other hand, she believes that this disease does not pose a sufficient threat to use older smallpox vaccines.
The latter, known as first and second generations, represent a significant risk of side effects, sometimes fatal.
There is uncertainty about the level of stocks of these vaccines in France.
Unlike other countries, the State does not give precise indications, hiding behind defense secrecy, even if it appeared able to organize an effective vaccination campaign against the 2022 epidemic.
Different vaccination strategies
The HAS also recommends different vaccination strategies in the event of a return of mpox, depending on whether the cases are more or less serious.
If they remain “
isolated or dispersed
”, vaccination would only concern people who have been in contact with sick people.
It should be done between four and 14 days after this contact.
But if the cases become “
numerous and simultaneous
” again, it would be necessary to switch to a “
preventive
” vaccination which would be offered to people deemed to be at risk of exposure, as well as to caregivers.
