The European Commission has authorised the administration of Imvanex, the vaccine against MPOX, to adolescents aged 12 and over.
- The European Commission has given the green light to administer Imvanex, the vaccine against MPOX, to adolescents from the age of 12.
- This decision follows a recommendation from the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
- According to the EMA, the vaccine would be safe and effective for this age group.
Following recommendations from the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the European Commission has decided to extend vaccination against mpox to adolescents from 12 years of age.
A safe and effective vaccine for adolescents aged 12 to 17
“The fact that adolescents aged 12 to 17 can now be protected against MPOX with a safe and effective vaccine is an important step forward.“, says Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, in the press release published on Friday, September 20.
The vaccine in question is Imvanex. In the European Union (EU), it has been authorized since 2013 to protect adults against smallpox. It was then used for MPOX, in adults.
For use in adolescents, it was first given the green light by the EMA. The health authority assured that it was safe and effective for 12-17 year olds.
“Although the overall risk of being infected with MPOX for the general population in the EU remains low, we are continuously working at EU level to ensure good preparedness“, underlines Stella Kyriakides.
HAS does not give its approval to vaccinate adolescents
As of September 17, 2024, a total of 160 cases of MPOX have been reported in Public Health France since January 1, 2024. It was only clade 2 mpox, present in West Africa and less serious than clade 1 for which theThe World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
Clade 1, originally present in the Congo Basin of Central Africa, is more deadly and easily transmitted than clade 2. On August 15, a first case was detected in Sweden, but never in France.
“MPOX clade 1 outbreaks have been increasing in frequency in Africa since early 2023, and the total number of cases in 2024 is already higher than that of 2023, can be read on the website of Ministry of Health. This clade is different from that responsible for the 2022 mpox epidemic in Europe and particularly in France (clade 2)”.
For the moment, the High Authority of Health (HAS) has not given its agreement to extend the authorization of the vaccine to adolescents aged 12. Only people most exposed to the virus, such as men who have sex with men (MSM) and who have multiple sexual partners, can benefit from it.
