Bahrain opens pre-registration for voluntary monkeypox vaccine

Bahrain’s Ministry of Health has announced that the pre-registration for the voluntary monkeypox vaccine is now open.

According to the Bahrain News Agency, the ministry stated that the vaccine provision is part of the government’s strategy to secure the needed medical and logistical resources to curb the spread of the disease.

The Ministry of Health highlighted that the country has secured a limited stock of the vaccine which will be administered to priority groups as per the set health protocols, including frontline health workers and those at high risk of exposure.

The ministry also explained that upcoming shipments will be dedicated to citizens and residents who wish to take the vaccine, noting that it will be free of charge.

The ministry stated that it has put in place relevant protocols related to testing, isolation, and treatment, based on global WHO recommendations and standards.

The Minister of Health, Dr Jalila bint Sayed Jawad, had earlier issued edit (28) of 2022, regarding isolation protocols for those who contract the virus and those suspected of being in contact with a positive case.

The edict stipulates that the medical isolation period is for a period of 21 days from the date of the confirmed result or from the date of contact with the positive case.

In recent news, Bavarian Nordic A/S’s smallpox vaccine Imvanex got permission to be labelled for monkeypox and another disease caused by the vaccinia virus. the company won formal approval in the European Union for its vaccine against monkeypox as the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a global health emergency.

Read: Danish shot gets EU nod for monkeypox as WHO declares emergency