Geneva: The spread of monkeypox across the world continues to be a major concern.
Over 35,000 cases of the virus have been reported from 92 countries and territories, World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus informed on Wednesday.
What is more alarming is the fact that there was a 20% increase in cases last week.
According to Ghebreyesus, 12 monkeypox-related deaths have been reported from different countries.
The top WHO official said vaccines may play an important role in controlling further spread of monkeypox, with a high demand from affected communities in many countries.
Unfortunately, Bavarian Nordic A/S, the only company with an approved vaccine for monkeypox, is not sure if it can meet the rising demand as cases continue to spike.
The Danish company is exploring the possibility of outsourcing production of the vaccine, including technology transfer to a US contract manufacturer, so that the total supply increases.
“It’s a very dynamic market situation. Demand keeps rising and it’s no longer certain that we can continue to meet the demand we’re facing even with the upgrade of our existing manufacturing site in Denmark,” said Bavarian Nordic vice-president Rolf Sass Sorensen.
