"No Vaccine Consent Among Contacts of Monkeypox Confirmed Cases"

Disease Control Agency Allows Second-Generation Vaccine for Medium-Risk Contacts Upon Consent

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Among the passengers who used the same flight as the first confirmed monkeypox case in Korea, all eight individuals classified as 'medium-risk contacts' have refused vaccination.

As of the 24th, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) stated regarding vaccination using the smallpox vaccine currently held domestically, "We explained post-exposure vaccination to the medium-risk contacts, but none agreed to be vaccinated."

Previously, on the 22nd, a total of 49 passengers had contact on the same flight as patient A, who was the first confirmed monkeypox case in Korea. Among them, eight passengers seated directly in front, behind, or diagonally adjacent to the confirmed patient were classified as medium-risk contacts, while the other 41 passengers, including two flight attendants, were classified as low-risk contacts. There were no high-risk contacts.

KDCA plans to vaccinate high-risk and medium-risk contacts who consent within 14 days from the last exposure using the second-generation smallpox vaccine stockpiled domestically.

The second-generation vaccine currently held by the government is a smallpox vaccine that shows about 85% preventive effectiveness against monkeypox. KDCA is also negotiating with manufacturers to introduce the third-generation vaccine, which is approved specifically for monkeypox.

Considering the relatively low transmissibility of the monkeypox virus, KDCA is not currently considering expanding vaccination to the general public.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.