Following the first reported case of mpox in the Philippines this year, the Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday, Aug. 22, announced its intent to the World Health Organization (WHO) to access vaccines that would help protect against the mpox virus.
“We are very much interested,” said DOH Spokesperson Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo in a dzBB interview, referring to the possibility of obtaining vaccines from the WHO to protect against the mpox virus.
“Nag-signify na rin tayo ng intent sa WHO na pag nag-shift na ang global strategy at nag-start na ang pag-distribute ng bakuna, nakataas na ang kamay ng Pilipinas (We have also signified our intent to the WHO that once the global strategy shifts and vaccine distribution begins, the Philippines will be prepared),” Domingo said.
Domingo told the Manila Bulletin that the DOH has expressed its intent to the WHO to access “any available vaccine effective against mpox.”
Smallpox vaccines
In other countries, Domingo said, the smallpox vaccine is being used to combat mpox.
Citing scientific findings, Domingo noted that smallpox vaccines could provide cross-protection against mpox.
“Right now, ginagamit sa ibang bansa ang (other countries are using the) smallpox vaccine to respond,” he explained.
Domingo noted that the Philippines does not currently have access to this vaccine, as the supply is concentrated in African countries where the deadly strain of mpox continues to spread.
“Dahil ang krisis ay nasa Africa, I think thousands of cases na ang nandoon, doon nila inuuna ang buhos ng mga bakuna (Because the crisis is in Africa, I think there are already thousands of cases there, so they are prioritizing the distribution of vaccines there),” he said.
Philippines ‘more ready’
Building on lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic, Domingo noted that the Philippines' healthcare system is now better equipped for an effective response.
He mentioned that the Philippines has already established cold chain and supply chain facilities for vaccine acquisition, thanks to the infrastructure developed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are in a far better situation now to respond, and the clade detected so far is the milder version,” he added.
According to the DOH, mpox can be transmitted through close, intimate, and prolonged contact.
“Ito ay virus pero hindi airborne [kaya] importanteng malaman na magkaiba ang paghawa nito sa Covid-19 (This is a virus but it's not airborne, so it's important to understand that its transmission is different from Covid-19),” Domingo explained.
Without available vaccines against mpox to date, Domingo emphasized the importance of heightened public awareness and practicing personal hygiene to prevent further transmission of the mpox virus.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2024/8/15/tamang-praning-lang-doh-urges-caution-without-panic-amid-mpox-emergency
On Aug. 19, the DOH confirmed the first case of mpox in the country this year.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2024/8/19/doh-detects-new-mpox-case-in-the-philippines
The DOH also noted that there have been 10 mpox cases reported in the country since 2022. There are no recorded deaths so far, based on DOH data.
All of these cases are classified as clade II variants, which are considered “milder” compared to the clade I variant spreading across African countries, prompting the WHO to declare mpox a global health emergency.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2024/8/21/mpox-what-are-clades-and-how-do-they-affect-you