India develops vaccine against monkeypox

The Serum Institute of India (SII) has announced that it is working on developing a vaccine against monkeypox.

On the subject, the Executive Director of the Institute, Adar Poonawalla, said: “Our institution, which is one of the largest vaccine developers in India, is working on developing a vaccine against monkeypox. The vaccine is supposed to be ready by the end of this year.”

She added: "Given the declared situation in the world due to the outbreak of monkeypox, we have started developing a vaccine against this disease, and we hope to have more positive news to share throughout the year."

Earlier, the Indian government had issued a number of recommendations to isolate people suspected of being infected with monkeypox, and the National Institute of Virology (NIV) was tasked with testing samples of the disease virus.

“The currently available vaccines against monkeypox have shown an efficacy of 80 per cent, so they can be considered effective, but vaccines based on live attenuated viruses may be more effective in treating vulnerable populations, and there will be no need for mass vaccination as a strategy,” said Raman Gangakhedkar, acting director of the Institute of AIDS Research in India.

Monkeypox, also known as mpox, is a disease caused by a virus that spreads from person to person through contact with the skin of an infected person, through the respiratory system, or through the eyes, nose, or mouth. It can also spread through touching surfaces contaminated with the virus, such as bedding and clothing, in addition to close contact with infected animals, such as monkeys and rats. Symptoms of this disease include a rash and skin ulcers, fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, weakness, and swollen lymph nodes.