EU: Mpox Does Not Constitute a Public Health Emergency on the Continent
European health authorities have determined that no exceptional measures will be implemented at the EU level to address the potential spread of the monkeypox virus (Mpox), as the risk it poses to the broader population remains “low.”
Following discussions with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the European Medicines Agency, the EU’s Health Security Committee concluded that “There is no need to impose border controls to stave off the risk of mpox, or to initiate bloc-wide inoculation against the virus.”
A spokesperson for the European Commission in Brussels stated, “the Health Security Committee (HSC) agreed that for now, there is no need to update the Opinion on Mpox vaccination from 2022, “nor should this be considered a public health emergency in Europe as things stand.”
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the evolving situation of mpox in the European Union and the possible need for further joint measures, such as vaccination recommendations for the general population or border surveillance of travellers from higher-risk areas, which were ruled out after the meeting.
The resurgence of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its spread to neighboring countries led the World Health Organization to declare a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” on August 14. The organization cited mpox as a rapidly spreading viral disease transmitted through close contact, including face-to-face interactions (which can produce droplets or short-range aerosols) and skin-to-skin contact. Additionally, the WHO recommended the use of three vaccines against the disease.
Sweden was the first country outside Africa to report a case of mpox, a viral illness characterized by blisters and flu-like symptoms, which are typically mild but can be potentially fatal.
