Monkeypox vaccine: When will it be rolled out in India? Who will get it first?

The Indian Council of Medical Research has issued an open call for monkeypox vaccine development proposals from commercial businesses to safeguard those most at risk.

It has been reported that the monkeypox virus has been isolated from a clinical specimen obtained from a patient at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune, which is part of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the premier organisation for conducting medical research in the nation.

The research is significant because it might lead to the creation of diagnostic kits and vaccinations for monkeypox infection.

Earlier this week, the World Health Organisation (WHO) chief said, “WHO recommends targeted vaccination for those exposed to someone with monkeypox, & for those at high risk of exposure, incl. health workers, some lab workers, & those with multiple sexual partners. At this time, we do not recommend mass vaccination against monkeypox.”

Status of monkeypox vaccines in India

There is still a shortage of data on vaccination efficacy or the number of doses required, according to WHO chief, and he asked all nations utilising vaccines to gather and share this essential data.

India’s ICMR has solicited expression of interest (EOI) from interested Indian vaccine producers, pharmaceutical firms, and in-vitro diagnostic industry partners for the development of indigenous vaccinations against monkeypox and detection kits.

Approved Monkeypox vaccines in the world

Canada, the European Union, and the United States have authorised a smallpox vaccine, MVA-BN, for use in monkeypox prevention. LC16 and ACAM2000, two more vaccines, are also being explored for monkeypox prevention.

However, the Indian government has yet to provide a recommendation as to who should be vaccinated first or who is considered to be ‘high risk’ as in 1978, India ceased smallpox vaccines because it seemed that the illness had been eliminated. People under 45 who did not get the smallpox vaccination are considered to be especially at risk, as various specialists have noted again and time again.