The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare will inoculate medical workers and health center staff who are at high risk of contact with patients in case "monkeypox", which is spreading mainly in Europe and the United States, is confirmed in Japan. I started to consider it.
"Monkeypox" has been reported one after another in Europe and the United States, and according to the summary of the US CDC = Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4769 patients have been confirmed by the 28th of this month in 49 countries and regions where "monkeypox" has not been established. increase.
On the 29th, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare announced new measures to be considered by a subcommittee made up of infectious disease experts in case a patient is confirmed in Japan.
Of these, regarding vaccines, smallpox vaccines with similar symptoms to monkey pox can be given to families who come into contact with patients, but in the future, medical personnel such as doctors and nurses who will be in charge of hospitalization of patients will be able to inoculate. It is said that vaccination will be considered in advance for the staff of the health center that transports the patient, the person in charge of the local health research institute that conducts the examination, and so on.
Regarding therapeutic drugs, it is said that it will consider introducing a mechanism to administer smallpox swallowing drugs for research purposes not only at the National Center for Global Health and Medical Research Hospital in Tokyo, but also at medical institutions in metropolitan areas other than the Kanto region. That is.
The committee members commented that they should provide proper information on safety before vaccination.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is working to secure medical institutions to accept monkeypox and expand the testing system in case other patients with monkeypox are found.