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Smallpox Vaccines for Monkeypox: Is Emergency Vaccination Imminent?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 April 2025

Syed Mukareem Ali ,
Khabab Abbasher Hussien Mohamed Ahmed Open the ORCID record for Khabab Abbasher Hussien Mohamed Ahmed [Opens in a new window] ,
Areeba Ahsan ,
Ghassan E. Mustafa Ahmed ,
Irtebaat Fatima ,
Samiuddin Tariq Ahmed ,
Faizan Niaz ,
Irfan Ullah  and
Abdul Waris
Syed Mukareem Ali
Affiliation:
Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan
Khabab Abbasher Hussien Mohamed Ahmed*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan
Areeba Ahsan
Affiliation:
Foundation University, School of Health Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan
Ghassan E. Mustafa Ahmed
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan
Irtebaat Fatima
Affiliation:
Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan
Samiuddin Tariq Ahmed
Affiliation:
Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan
Faizan Niaz
Affiliation:
Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan
Irfan Ullah
Affiliation:
Kabir Medical College, Gandhara University, Peshawar, Pakistan
Abdul Waris
Affiliation:
Kabir Medical College, Gandhara University, Peshawar, Pakistan
*
Corresponding author: Khabab Abbasher Hussien Mohamed Ahmed; Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is a contagious disease that has been endemic in central and west Africa since 1970, characterized by symptoms such as fever, headache, and skin rash. While there is no approved treatment for MPXV infections, vaccination has proven effective in limiting its transmission, and previous smallpox vaccinations may also provide protection against monkeypox. However, the dependence of monkeypox on animal hosts makes eradication more complicated than with smallpox. Research should focus on assessing the safety of the vaccines, their duration of immunity, and their efficacy against the prevalent strains of monkeypox. The virus’s accelerated rate of mutation poses additional challenges, as does the fact that it can be transmitted through animals, making eradication more complex than with smallpox. A comprehensive global immunization strategy is needed to address these complexities and draw on lessons learned from past eradication efforts.

Keywords

MonkeypoxSmallpoxOrthopoxvirusVaccinesEradicationMPXV
Type
Commentary
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 19 , 2025 , e81
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc

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