St Vincent and the Grenadines will increase its surveillance for monkeypox, per one of the recommendations from the World Health Organization.
This was disclosed by Dr Roger Duncan at an open forum held by SVG health officials on Tuesday 2 August to educate the nation on the virus.
Despite the state’s provision of testing, contact tracing, care, and treatment, Duncan said the outcome of any outbreak depends on the behaviour of the population. A single case of monkeypox can cause an epidemic within the state, he said.
There will be more surveillance at the points of entry, where surveillance officers trained during COVID-19 can raise suspicions, Duncan pointed out.
“One of the first steps in surveillance is to test for the virus. The chief laboratory technologist Elliot Samuel told me that we are capable of doing 400 monkeypox tests per day in SVG.”
The second step in surveillance is to raise the index of suspicion, according to Duncan.
“We have discussed this with all the health workers, but outside of that framework, we need the community to be on alert. “Community involvement is essential”, Duncan said.
According to the Medical Officer, monkeypox vaccines are not available on the island at the moment.
“Currently, we do not have any vaccines in stock. In contrast to COVID vaccines, you have to pay directly for these vaccines, you must pay upfront, and there are concerns about minimum orders, among others”.
The region is currently in the process of working together to acquire vaccines, Duncan said.
Duncan said another recommendation of the WHO at this point is for countries to mobilize national resources and bring together public health experts.
“Since we are still in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic, the structures set up to manage that virus are still in place. There is a health committee and a subcommittee that will provide advice on monkeypox.”
District Medical Officer Alisha Bonadie said on Tuesday that the majority of cases will be isolated at home and treated with over-the-counter medications.
Bonadie said that monkeypox is active and deadly and that SVG is working to prevent its entry into the country.
On the question of getting a vaccine for monkeypox, Infectious Disease Specialist Dr Jose Davy stated that if you were vaccinated for smallpox there is an 85 percent chance you don’t need a vaccine for monkeypox.
In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, there are no confirmed cases of monkeypox.
Around 70 countries where monkeypox is not endemic have reported outbreaks of the viral disease as confirmed cases crossed 22,100 and the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a global health emergency.
