The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday, Aug. 24, announced that it requested 2,000 doses of mpox vaccine after detecting a new case of the viral disease in the country this year.
In a Teleradyo Serbisyo interview, DOH Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa said that the DOH has been monitoring recent developments related to mpox, particularly the availability of vaccines.
Herbosa noted that the “cowpox vaccine” is being used for mpox in other countries, and it was also used against the smallpox virus.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2024/8/22/why-the-mpox-vaccine-is-not-yet-available-in-the-philippines
“Nanghingi na ako. I have about 2,000 doses coming from our share sa ASEAN, sa WHO and may proseso iyan (I already asked. I have about 2,000 doses coming from our share in ASEAN, from the WHO, and there's a process for that),” Herbosa said.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2024/8/22/doh-plans-to-secure-vaccines-effective-against-mpox
However, Herbosa clarified that the DOH is not requesting to be prioritized for the mpox vaccines yet, as the deadly strain of the mpox virus, clade 1b, has not yet been detected in the Philippines.
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https://mb.com.ph/2024/8/21/mpox-what-are-clades-and-how-do-they-affect-you
“Hindi ako nakikipag-agawan kasi alam kong kailangan sa Africa (I didn’t compete for it because I know it’s needed in Africa),” Herbosa said.
The latest data from the DOH show that there were 10 cases of mpox in the Philippines from 2022 until August of this year. The most recent case, reported to the DOH on Aug. 18, involved a 33-year-old male with no travel history.
The mpox cases in the country, DOH said, has been identified as clade 2 which is considered the "milder" variant.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2024/8/21/doh-confirms-mpox-case-10-as-clade-ii-variant-why-it-matters
All nine previous cases in 2022 and 2023 have recovered, and no deaths have been reported due to mpox, according to the DOH.
“Yung bakuna, na kaunti lang, ibubuhos muna natin sa Africa sapagkat kailangan ma-contain muna yung outbreak doon (The vaccine, which is limited, will be sent to Africa first because the outbreak there needs to be contained),” Herbosa said.
“Wala pa naman tayong clade 1b dito eh, ibigay muna natin yung bakuna doon sa mga nangangailangan (We don't have clade 1b here yet, so let's give it first to those who need it),” he added.
Mpox briefing
On Aug. 23, Herbosa, along with DOH officials and staff, attended a hybrid-format WHO briefing on the global mpox situation.
Presided over by WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at WHO headquarters in Geneva, the meeting gathered over 300 member state delegates, WHO staff, and experts to “discuss recent developments.”
The WHO presented a draft strategic plan for mpox preparedness and response, emphasizing the importance of enhanced surveillance, improved case reporting, and sustained international collaboration among all countries.
The discussion also underscored the need to empower community volunteers and health workers to promptly identify and report suspected cases to the national mpox surveillance system, according to the DOH.
During the meeting, WHO experts also discussed the global strategy for a phased vaccination approach, with the current priority being to halt the outbreak in Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where transmission rates are highest.
“Once more vaccine doses are available, the next phase will be to expand protection in affected communities, targeting individuals at high risk of severe disease based on local epidemiology in affected areas,” the DOH said in a statement.
The third and final phase aims to protect future populations by boosting immunity levels. This phase will focus on vaccinating all groups recommended by WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) "when and as doses become available."
Convening SAGE
On Aug. 22, the DOH announced that Herbosa convened the Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (EREID) Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) to address the need to empower health workers, including dermatologists, who are more likely to encounter suspected mpox cases due to the disease's distinct skin symptoms.
“We continue to monitor the mpox situation in our country even as we link with our counterparts worldwide,” Herbosa said, thanking the international health community for “validating what the DOH has started doing.”
Understanding mpox and its skin-to-skin transmission, Herbosa underscored the importance of personal hygiene.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2024/8/15/tamang-praning-lang-doh-urges-caution-without-panic-amid-mpox-emergency
“Stop it from spreading by washing hands with soap and water or using alcohol sanitizers. Clean surfaces too, and keep skin covered,” he added.
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