A sharp rise in the cases of Mpox has led the World Health Organisation or WHO to declare it a public health emergency again – the second time this year. First identified in 1970, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the disease spread to neighbouring countries, breaking continental barriers, and reaching America and Europe. It was also detected in India in 2022.

According to the latest reports, the life-threatening and new deadly variant of the highly infectious viral disease has spread to Sweden in Europe and Pakistan - after a 34-year-old man who recently returned from Saudi Arabia tested positive for the virus.

Currently, there are two vaccines - JYNNEOS and ACAM2000 - being used for Mpox, recommended by WHO experts and approved by health authorities in several countries, including Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

JYNNEOS, manufactured as the MVA-BN vaccine (Modified Vaccinia Ankara-Bavarian Nordic), is also marketed under other names like Imvamune, and Imvanex. It is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency.

“The MPOX vaccine is a third-generation vaccine based on a live, attenuated orthopoxvirus known as Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA). MVA is a live virus that does not replicate efficiently in humans,” Dr. Tushar Tayal, Consultant, Internal Medicine, CK Birla Hospital, told Times Now.

According to Dr. Tayal, live attenuated vaccines work by using a weakened form of the pathogen - virus, or bacteria, that causes the disease.

The vaccine is used for subcutaneous administration in individuals aged 18 and older. “Once administered, the attenuated pathogen replicates in the body, but because it is weakened, it doesn't cause the full-blown disease,” said Dr. Tayal. The immune system recognizes the pathogen as a foreign invader and creates memory cells that "remember" the pathogen. This way, if the person is exposed to the natural, more virulent form of the pathogen in the future, their immune system can quickly recognize and attack it, preventing illness.

When the current outbreak of Mpox began in 2022, JYNNEOS was the primary vaccine used in the US. The vaccine is administered as a series of two doses, spaced 28 days or 4 weeks apart.

According to Dr. Tayal, the vaccine is not available in India currently. “However, with the recent declaration of MPOX as a global health emergency, given its rapid spread across the African continent and the potential for global transmission, it is likely that the vaccine will soon become available to the Indian public,” he said.

Mpox, belonging to the Orthopoxvirus genus is known for causing illnesses characterized by a rash that includes raised bumps on the skin in both humans and animals. Doctors say these bumps often contain fluid or pus, which eventually crust over and heal.

The virus is primarily transmitted through close contact with an infected animal or person. Human-to-human transmission occurs through direct contact with skin lesions, body fluids, or respiratory droplets from an infected individual, and by touching contaminated objects. Symptoms of Mpox usually appear between three and 21 days after exposure and can last between two to four weeks.

While Mpox is generally a self-limiting disease, it causes many other life-threatening complications which can be fatal.

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