After the surge of Covid-19, the European Union wants to be prepared for new viruses and closely monitors emerging diseases.
On Tuesday, the European Commission announced that it had concluded a contract for the purchase of more than 100,000 doses of monkeypox vaccine.
This virus has been detected in 19 Member States as well as in Norway and Iceland.
The agreement on the supply of 109,090 doses of third generation vaccines on behalf of European countries has been concluded with the Danish company Bavarian Nordic, the Commission said in a press release.
It is inspired by the group purchases of anti-Covid vaccines but concerns much smaller quantities.
An often mild disease
The European medicines regulator (EMA) announced in early June that it had started discussions with this company, manufacturer of a vaccine against human smallpox, eradicated for more than 40 years, to possibly extend its use against monkeypox.
This disease is most often benign but its spread outside endemic areas, mainly in Europe, remains a source of concern.
Preventive vaccinations
The European Center for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended early post-exposure vaccination to prevent the disease or make its development less serious, recalls Brussels.
Purchased on behalf of the new Hera health authority, created in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the vaccines will be made available to the Twenty-Seven as well as to Norway and Iceland, with first deliveries of by the end of the month for the priority countries, specifies the Commission.
The amount of the contract was not disclosed.
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