Drugs/Vaccines
12-Year-Olds Could Get Mpox Vaccine in EU if Approved
Bavarian Nordic today said it plans to seek European regulatory approval for its mpox vaccine for children ages 12-17. Meanwhile, medical commentator John Campbell, Ph.D., today said he believes the probability of “ongoing sustained transmission” of mpox in the West is “remarkably low.”
Mpox vaccine maker Bavarian Nordic today said it plans to seek European regulatory approval for its vaccine for children ages 12-17 after the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday declared a global public health emergency.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted the vaccine an “emergency use authorization” for adolescents during the 2022 global mpox outbreak, according to Medical Xpress.
Meanwhile, medical commentator John Campbell, Ph.D., said today on his YouTube show that — based on evidence from the WHO, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and U.K. government official data sources — he believes the probability of “ongoing sustained transmission” of mpox in the West is “remarkably low.”
In May 2022, the WHO announced it would phase out the name “monkeypox” and rename the disease “mpox” to avoid the stigma generated by associating the disease with monkeys.
Mpox typically not transmitted by air
Campbell reviewed official information about mpox, such as how the disease is transmitted and its symptomatic stages.
He said there are two types of mpox: clade 1 and clade 2. Both are typically transmitted via close contact or sexual contact, according to the CDC. Examples include skin-to-skin, mouth-to-mouth, mouth-to-skin contact and sex. It can also be spread by touching objects recently touched by a person with the disease, such as towels or sheets.
People can also get mpox from close contact with infected wild animals. Campbell pointed out the likelihood of that occurring in Western countries is slim.
According to the WHO’s mpox factsheet, the virus also can be transmitted via “respiratory droplets or short-range aerosols from prolonged close contact.”
There’s been no confirmed case of airborne transmission in the U.K. so far, Campbell said. “So it’s not looking like that really is a major cause of transmission.”
Common symptoms — which may last 2-4 weeks — include rash (i.e., pus-filled lesions that eventually dry out and turn to scabs), fever, sore throat, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes, according to the WHO.
“It’s going to be fairly obvious when people have got this disease and it’s going to be fairly obvious, as long as people are moderately honest about it, who to avoid for a period,” Campbell said.
Teens generally not at risk of severe disease
Campbell discussed how the first case reported outside of Africa since the WHO’s Wednesday declaration — a person in Sweden — was a returning traveler. “That’s to be expected,” he said. “If a disease is endemic in a particular part of the world, you’re going to get people coming back with it.”
Bavarian Nordic CEO Paul Chaplin said in a statement, “Children and adolescents are disproportionately affected by mpox in the ongoing outbreak in Africa, highlighting the importance and urgency to broaden the access to vaccines and therapies for this vulnerable population.”
However, according to the CDC, adolescents — as an age group — are not generally at risk for developing severe disease from mpox. Those at risk of severe disease are people with weakened immune systems, children younger than 1, people with a history of eczema and pregnant women.
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Mpox vaccine isn’t a genetic vaccine — for now
The current mpox vaccines are “traditional antigen” vaccines rather than “genetic” vaccines — at least for now, Campbell told viewers.
“So it concerns me way less than the RNA [and] DNA genetic vaccines would … Although I would say no reason to get one — for me personally, just to use me as an example.”
There are three different mpox vaccines “but they’re all much the same variety,” Campbell said. They all are derived from the smallpox vaccine.
With an antigen vaccine, you can more precisely control the amount of antigen the person receives compared with genetic vaccines, such as the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines.
“The level of immunity generated probably isn’t that great,” he said. “The last paper I read, it was about 66% protection after two doses, only about a 35% protection after one dose.”
Campbell added:
“Of course, this tells us nothing about how much money manufacturers could make from the vaccine and presumably — if there’s a large-scale rollout — there’ll be a lot of money involved.”
He emphasized that mpox is a problem in Africa but that he’s “not too worried about the West at the moment.”
Referring to the WHO’s emergency declaration, Campbell said, “Let’s hope that not too much fuss is made about it and that this goes away fairly soon and fairly quietly.”
Watch Campbell’s show here:
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