The worst fears of a potential spread of monkeypox from the African countries where it originated to the rest of the world have been confirmed by the World Health Organization’s announcement of the first case in a European country, specifically in Sweden.

“The confirmation of Clade 1 mpox in Sweden clearly reflects the interconnectedness of our world (…) It is likely that more imported cases of Clade 1 will be recorded in the European region in the coming days and weeks,” stated the World Health Organization.

The first case in Europe is an individual who “was infected while staying in an area of Africa where a significant mpox outbreak of Clade 1 is occurring,” as clarified in a press conference by Olivia Wigtzell, the interim head of the Swedish Public Health Authority.

Nordic: We Can Prepare 10 Million Vaccines

Meanwhile, just hours after the WHO declared a high-alert status for monkeypox, the pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic announced that it is ready to produce 10 million doses of the vaccine by the end of 2025.

“We have the capability to produce 2 million doses in 2024 and a total of 10 million doses by the end of 2025,” the company’s vice president told the French Press Agency.

However, he quickly added that they would wait for orders from interested countries before scaling up vaccine production, saying, “We need to see the vaccines first.” Currently, the company claims to have a stockpile of 500,000 doses.

According to international media, the company’s stock, whose mpox vaccines have been licensed since 2019, rose by up to 8% on the Copenhagen stock exchange on Thursday, following a 12% increase on Wednesday.

Vaccination in Greece Started on July 22

As Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis announced on Χ, vaccination against mpox has been available in Greece since July 22.

“As part of prevention efforts, vaccination against mpox has been available since July 22, 2024. Mpox is a rare viral infection caused by the mpox virus. The mpox virus is genetically similar to the smallpox virus but is less contagious and has milder symptoms. Transmission from person to person occurs through contact with the skin lesions/body fluids of the infected person or contaminated objects, as well as through respiratory droplets following prolonged close contact at a short distance,” the Health Minister stated in his post.

In the same post, he noted that “the Jynneos vaccine is recommended for individuals aged 18 and older who are at high risk of infection from the mpox virus and belong to the following high-risk categories:

• Men who have sex with men (MSM), men who have sex with both men and women, and transgender individuals. All individuals in the above groups are considered high risk if they have a recent history of multiple sexual partners, meaning those who have had more than 5 casual partners or have contracted a sexually transmitted infection (at least one) in the last 3 months.
• Healthcare professionals working in high-risk environments for exposure to the mpox virus (e.g., laboratories, specialized units).
• Individuals who have had close physical contact with a confirmed mpox virus case within 4 to 14 days after exposure, provided they have not developed symptoms, regardless of gender.
• Individuals who have frequent and close contact with the previous categories.
• Among the individuals in the above categories, vaccination is especially important for immunocompromised individuals.”