In response to a series of reports of "monkeypox" mainly in Europe and the United States, the WHO = World Health Organization held an emergency committee of experts from around 7 pm on the 23rd of Japan time, and this infection We are considering whether the spread is an "international concern for public health emergencies."
According to WHO, Tedros will decide whether to declare an emergency within the next few days, based on the results of the Commission's review.
In Europe and the United States, reports of "monkeypox" have been reported one after another, and according to the WHO's European Regional Secretariat, by the 21st of this month, 2,746 people have been infected in 29 countries and regions centered on Europe.
In response to this situation, WHO will hold an urgent committee with experts from each country from around 7 pm on the 23rd of Japan time to discuss future measures.
The urgent committee is considering whether the spread of this infection is an "internationally concerned public health emergency" based on the latest situation.
According to WHO, Tedros will decide whether to declare an emergency within the next few days, based on the results of the Commission's review.
The state of emergency is now being declared with the spread of the new coronavirus and polio.
Preparations in Japan
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is developing a system to promptly carry out tests and vaccinations in case a monkeypox patient is found in Japan.
Since monkeypox was confirmed to be transmitted to humans overseas in 1970, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has designated it as a type 4 infectious disease that refers to animal-to-human infectious diseases, but cases have been reported in Japan so far. Is not ...
However, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is proceeding with the development of the system in response to the spread of infection mainly in Europe and the United States.
Of these, the inspection is currently only possible at one of the National Institutes of Infectious Diseases in Tokyo, so we are preparing to carry out the inspection at about 80 local health laboratories nationwide.
Regarding the vaccine, the smallpox vaccine is said to have an effect of preventing the onset of monkeypox by about 85%, and it is produced and stockpiled by manufacturers in Japan.
However, it has not been routinely inoculated since 1976, and since it was originally approved as a vaccine for smallpox, it cannot be used for monkeypox in principle.
For this reason, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has established a system at the National Center for Global Health and Medical Sciences Hospital in Tokyo that can be used to inoculate patients' families as an exception for research purposes.
The target is close contacts within 14 days of contact with the patient, and the presence or absence of onset is examined up to 21 days later.
In principle, vaccination is before infection in the new corona, but in monkeypox, vaccination after infection is said to be effective in preventing the onset and aggravation, and close contacts are also eligible for vaccination.
Since the therapeutic drug has not been approved or secured in Japan, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has begun to consider importing from overseas and regulatory approval.
In addition, we are requesting 58 designated medical institutions nationwide to secure an inpatient system, and we are requesting medical institutions to promptly report any suspected cases of infection.
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara "Responding in collaboration with WHO"
At a press conference, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara said, "We are closely watching the global infection situation, including the confirmation of the first case in South Korea. We are aware that the WHO = World Health Organization will hold an emergency committee today. I would like to take appropriate measures based on the discussions here. "
"At this point, no infection has been confirmed in Japan. If an infection is suspected, a medical institution will ask the health center to consult with us, and we have a system in place to carry out necessary tests. The government also has a system with WHO. We would like to take necessary measures such as monitoring the outbreak trends of infectious diseases in Japan and overseas while cooperating well. "
He added, "From the viewpoint of consideration for personal information, we will not disclose suspicious cases until the infection is confirmed by the test. We will take appropriate actions while considering the personal information at the stage confirmed by the test." rice field.