Monkeypox Alert: Govt Engages With Vaccine Makers to Develop Jab, Invites Bids | Deets Inside

India has announced its plans to engage with vaccine makers to develop a vaccine specific to the virus.

New Delhi: Amid the rising cases of Monkeypox across the globe, the Centre on Wednesday asked vaccine makers to develop a jab for the virus. Diagnostic kit manufacturers have also been directed to develop diagnostic kits for the disease. Earlier, a senior government official had revealed that India has started discussions with vaccine makers for developing a Monkeypox vaccine, as cases have increased globally.

“We are already engaging with the potential players,” Bloomberg quoted Vinod Kumar Paul, member of government think tank NITI Aayog and head of the national task force on Covid-19, as saying. “As you know, we have a strong presence of our vaccine capacity, so that’s also under the government’s active consideration,” he added.

India has reported 4 confirmed and 1 suspected cases of Monkeypox as of now. In wake of this scenario, the government has designated 15 laboratories to diagnose Monkeypox and has adequate equipment to carry out two-step RT PCR tests.

Centre Issues Guidelines on Management of Monkeypox Disease

‘Guidelines on Management of Monkeypox Disease’ has been issued by the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday stating that human-to-human transmission occurs primarily through large respiratory droplets generally requiring prolonged close contact.

It can also be transmitted through direct contact with body fluids or lesions, and indirect contact with lesion material such as through contaminated clothing or linen of an infected person. Animal-to-human transmission may occur by bite or scratch of infected animals or through bush meat preparation.

The incubation period is usually from six to 13 days and the case fatality rate of monkeypox has historically ranged up to 11 per cent in the general population and higher among children. In recent times, the case fatality rate has been around three to six per cent.