1,400 doses of monkeypox vaccines arrive in Finland

About 1,400 doses of vaccines to prevent monkeypox have arrived in Finland, said the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) in a press release on Tuesday.

The vaccine is called Jynneos and it is used to prevent monkeypox both in the United States and in the EU.

The vaccine provides protection against diseases caused by orthopox viruses, such as smallpox and monkeypox.

The virus in the vaccine has been weakened so that it will not replicate itself in human cells and consequently, cannot cause the disease in humans.

The vaccine may be offered to people who have the highest risk of contracting monkeypox. There is no need to vaccinate the general population.

“We recommend the vaccine to those who have been in close contact with people who have contracted the illness – i.e., those who may have been exposed to the disease. The final decision to vaccinate is made based on individual consideration”, said Anniina Virkku, Medical Specialist of THL.

Health care services contact those who are exposed to monkeypox and guide them to be vaccinated.

Vaccination of those who have been exposed can reduce the risk of infection. The vaccine may alleviate symptoms even if a person is infected despite being vaccinated. The faster the vaccine is given after exposure, the more effective it is.

So far, 30 cases of monkeypox have been diagnosed in Finland. Most of the infections originated outside of Finland.

However, some of the infections occurred inside Finland, which means that the possibility of being infected in Finland is worth considering. All of those who have been infected are men.

About 53,000 monkeypox infections have been diagnosed worldwide in 2022. The greatest number of cases have been in the United States, Spain, the UK, Germany, France, and The Netherlands. Infections have occurred in 100 different countries.

Monkeypox is not easily transmitted from person to person, and it is not typically transmitted in brief everyday contact. The risk of monkeypox spreading more widely among the population is low.

This year, most of the infections outside Africa have come through sexual contact. Anyone can be infected, but the World Health Organisation WHO reports that infections have been highest among men who have had sex with other men, and with new, or several partners.

Condoms, when used correctly, give protection against several different sexually transmitted diseases, but they do not give adequate protection against monkeypox.

Monkeypox is typically accompanied by a skin condition with papules or blisters for which there is no other explanation. Before the skin reacts, other typical symptoms of infection may appear, such as fever or headache.

Treatment of monkeypox is symptomatic, and the disease usually goes away on its own in a few weeks. Serious forms of the disease usually occur among patients whose immune defences have been weakened by other illnesses or by medical treatment.