Vaccinate the top 20 subjects at risk for monkeypox in Bologna. In fact, the administration started today under the two towers and will continue in the other cities at a later time.
These are people treated at the Sant’Orsola Polyclinic in Bologna, indicated by the hospital’s infectious disease experts on the basis of clinical evidence and risk factors. “Today was the first day and the adhesion was very high – reports Lorenzo Badia, infectious disease specialist of Sant’Orsola – the response of the population was really very prompt. We also have many requests, several people have already asked us how to do it and therefore I think membership will be high enough “.
People at risk
At the moment, vaccination is aimed, in addition to laboratory workers who may be most in contact with the virus, “to males who have sex with males – Badia recalls – at higher risk for the number of partners and sexual practices. The target was defined by the Ministry of Health based on the current epidemiology of the infection, so for now we focus on this population. At the moment we are evaluating among our PrEP users (pre-exposure prophylaxis, ed) and patients with HIV those with the highest risk and we are calling them personally “. Just having identified this category of people as a priority for monkeypox has raised some controversy in recent days.
Smallpox of monkeys, 67 confirmed cases: today in Bologna off to vaccination
Paolo Pandolfi, director of the Public Health Department of the ASL of Bologna, throws water on the fire. “When it comes to health there is no stigma – he says – there is a fact, which is to treat people who have a disease. It can be anyone. This is not a disease that affects just one category, it can affect everyone. Right now it is focusing on a sub-group of the population and our fear is that this disease could also spread to the general population. So there is no stigma when there is disease. It is a disease and it must be treated. ” .
“Growing cases”
In Emilia-Romagna, cases of monkeypox “are growing over time”, continues Pandolfi. At the regional level, 67 cases have been observed so far, “all males except one woman”, he explains, while in Bologna in particular “there are 30 cases, all males, with an average age of 38 years. So they are young people who fall within the risk factors “indicated by the Ministry.
Monkeypox occurs “with some signs on the skin, such as itchy vesicles – continues the epidemiologist from the Ausl – it can also cause general malaise, pain and a little fever”. As far as serum is concerned, on the other hand, it is from the technical point of view of “a live attenuated virus vaccine – explains Badia – that does not cause the disease but arouses the immune response. It is a vaccine that was registered for smallpox and that luckily it also works for monkeypox. There are currently no reports of particular adverse reactions “, explains Badia. (to say)