For a few weeks, the Ministry of Health (Minsa) has been making arrangements to purchase vaccines against the monkeypox virus through the Revolving Fund of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
Dr. Melva Cruz, director of Public Health of the Minsa, stressed that the vaccine is one of the strategies to complement the containment of outbreaks, however, she recalled that it is not widely used, but is used under strict study protocols.
“PAHO is in negotiations with the manufacturer to obtain the vaccine for the countries of the region that have expressed interest. Panama, the Minister of Health, has expressed this interest and if all goes well, we will be receiving it as soon as possible, possibly the next month, the vaccine,” Cruz said.
The doctor recalled that the form of transmission of this virus is through direct contact, blood, body fluids, lesions on the skin or mucosa of infected animals, also from person to person, contact with infected secretions in the respiratory tract or with objects that have been used and contaminated, also through fabrics, bedding, towels and surfaces that have been used by the infected person.
He said this is frequently seen during intimate contact: oral sex, anal sex, vaginal sex.
“People who have multiple partners or go to these parties where there is a lot of sex, very little clothing, these spaces are likely to spread,” he stressed.
It should be noted that on Thursday night, the Minsa confirmed the eighth case of monkeypox in Panama.
