Madrid: Spain will donate 20% of its monkeypox vaccines to central African countries, where an outbreak of monkeypox has occurred, the Spanish Health Ministry said.
“The Ministry of Health considers it essential to act in that region in order to contain the current situation in a solid and firm manner … For this reason, Spain has informed the European Commission that it will provide 20% of its vaccine stocks for donation, that is, 100,000 vials, which will be enough to produce 500,000 doses,” the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Spanish government is calling on the European Commission to extend the proposal to all member states to donate 20% of vaccine stocks to deal with the current situation, the statement read.
The ministry also considers it pointless to stockpile vaccines where they are not urgently needed, the statement added.
Earlier in August, the World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreak in Africa a public health emergency of international concern.
Mpox, also known as monkeypox, is a rare infectious disease that is also transmitted between people. It is usually a mild disease that most people recover from within a few weeks, but some may have complications. The initial symptoms of mpox include fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, enlarged lymph nodes, chills and fatigue. A rash may develop, often starting on the face and then spreading to other parts of the body.
