NRW gets vaccine against monkeypox
In the meantime, the first shipments of vaccine against monkeypox have been brought to Germany. To be precise, the doses were delivered to NRW. However, the approximately 7,300 units must be stored in a cool place. Once "thawed", they must then be vaccinated within 12 hours.
To ensure that precisely those people who need the vaccination also receive it as promptly and unbureaucratically as possible, it is now planned to make deliveries to the pharmacies belonging to the university hospitals in Cologne and Düsseldorf. Individuals who then need to be vaccinated for medical reasons in the coming days can then pick up their doses at the relevant locations. In this case, however, it is important that the whole thing has been approved or ordered by a doctor.
Is it necessary to get vaccinated against monkeypox?
The current recommendation of the Stiko is that people who belong to certain risk groups should go for monkeypox vaccination. In addition, the Standing Commission on Vaccination advises vaccination if there has been close contact with someone who is already infected.
The risk of infection is said to be comparatively high for men, among others, who have same-sex sex with repeatedly changing partners. If necessary, employees of special laboratories should also be vaccinated.
In case of doubt, a discussion with the family doctor will help.
The assessment of the risk group, but also the comments of some politicians, had led to discussions again and again recently. Because: Again and again it seemed as if only gay or bisexual men were affected by the risk of falling ill. Many queer associations feared a kind of stigmatization here, which also became topical at the time of the AIDS crisis.
What is monkeypox?
According to current findings, people suffering from monkeypox contract the disease comparatively mildly. Transmission takes place through close physical contact. Many scientists emphasize that monkeypox cannot be compared with the Corona pandemic. Therefore, most do not assume that the entire population could really be at risk.
In the worst case, however, the disease can lead to death. However, this is comparatively rare. In the vast majority of cases, the symptoms disappear all by themselves after some time.
The symptoms, including for example fever and skin rash, usually disappear on their own within a few weeks, but in some people can lead to medical complications and in very rare cases death.
It is therefore all the more important to consult a doctor as soon as possible if a rash, fever and the like appear. The doctor can then start treatment accordingly.
In general, the coverage of monkeypox seems to be easing a bit at the moment. And also in other countries one reacts (at least so far) very calmly. This is evident, among other things, from the fact that only a little more than 100,000 vaccine doses have been ordered in the entire European Union.
Monkeypox and the AIDS crisis - similarities and differences
The fact that many people felt reminded of the AIDS crisis, especially at the beginning of the reporting on monkeypox, is certainly no coincidence. Even then, people didn't really know much about the disease, which many referred to as the "gay disease.
Many straight people felt safe. After all, they did not have same-sex sex and thus could not infect themselves... Or could they? Soon it became apparent that no one could feel safe when it came to AIDS. And even now many politicians, for example the Queer commissioner Sven Lehmann, emphasize again and again that everybody can get infected with monkeypox. It will probably take some time until more official, scientifically sound results on this are available, which can then be used to draw the public's attention even further to this important topic.
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