According to information provided by the EFE Agency, the members of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) approved a resolution to request equitable access to the monkeypox vaccine, which affects 24 countries in the American continent.
The resolution was approved this Friday during a special session of the PAHO Directing Council. Its director, Carissa F. Etienne, pointed out that currently there is only one third-generation vaccine against monkeypox and stressed that it is made by a single producer, the Bavarian Nordic pharmaceutical company.
Although supplies of these vaccines are extremely limited, PAHO has entered into negotiations with Bavarian Nordic to help countries in the region.
The World Health Organization (WHO), to which PAHO reports, declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency of international importance on July 23. That outbreak began in mid-May and has so far affected 89 countries around the world.
So far, 24 countries in the Americas have reported at least 10,000 cases of monkeypox, which represents 36% of global cases, according to data from the agency.
/JV/