Given that Monkey Pox is a disease of worldwide public health significance, it is important to understand the virus in its entirety. This article will aid you in learning about the monkeypox virus, its causes and prevention, methods of transmission of the monkeypox virus as well as reliable vaccines that work.
What is MonkeyPox Virus
Monkeypox is a rare disease similar to smallpox caused by the mpox virus. It is found mostly in areas of Africa, but has been seen in other regions of the world. It causes flu-like symptoms such as fever and chills, and a rash that can take some weeks to clear.
Monkeypox is caused by monkeypox virus infection. The virus that causes smallpox, the variola virus, is related to the monkeypox virus in the same family of viruses. The symptoms of monkeypox are also similar to those of smallpox but less severe, and it rarely results in death.
You will find that the first monkeypox virus outbreak outside of Africa started as a result of contact with infected pet prairie dogs in the United States of America. Over 70 cases of monkeypox were brought on by this outbreak in the US. From 2018 to 2021, reports of monkeypox in foreign travelers were also been made.
Causes of Monkeypox Virus
If you are wondering, how do I get monkey pox, It is essential to emphasize that anyone who has intimate, extended contact with an infected person or their infected possessions can contract monkeypox. Skin-to-skin contact with an infected individual, face-to-face contact, mouth-to-skin contact, and touching infected bedding, clothing, and objects are all possibilities that the monkeypox virus can spread.
Health care professionals, commercial sex workers, household members, and other close associates of active cases, such as sexual partners, may be at increased risk of infection. Pregnant women, young children, and those with impaired immune systems are among the other demographics most at risk for developing serious sickness from monkeypox.
Symptoms of MonkeyPox Virus
The most typical symptom is a rash that changes over time, turning from vesicles to blisters. The majority of the cases during the most current outbreak in the European Region have been discovered in sexual health clinics, where individuals have presented lesions on their genitalia and anus. A fever, muscle pains, chills, fatigue, headaches, and a sore throat may accompany the rash-raised glands, particularly in the groin. It could potentially affect the neck, under the chin, and in the armpits.
Although the majority of the current outbreak’s symptoms have been moderate, lesions can be extremely itchy or painful and can infect. In most cases, symptoms go away on their own after 14 to 21 days. There may be severe cases when one is down with this virus, the case fatality rate has recently been in the range of 3-6%.
The Monkeypox Virus Vaccine
The monkeypox vaccines utilized in the smallpox eradication operation also offered protection from the monkeypox virus. Though there are more recent vaccines available, one of which is authorized for the prevention of monkeypox. This is because the virus that causes Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) is related to the virus that causes smallpox.
According to CDC, a 2-dose vaccine called JYNNEOS was created to offer defense against monkeypox and smallpox infections. The vaccination must be administered in both doses for maximum protection against monkeypox. Four weeks should pass after the first dose before the second dose.
The Vaccination Procedure
A crucial measure in preventing the spread of monkeypox is vaccination. You can see two basic procedures for administering the monkeypox virus vaccine here;
- Intradermal Vaccination: This process of administering the monkeypox vaccine intradermally is known as intradermal vaccination. It may be positioned in your forearm, upper back beneath the shoulder blade, or the skin of your shoulder right above the deltoid muscle, among other places.
Some persons have noted reduced pain following intradermal JYNNEOS vaccination but increased side effects such as itching, redness, thickening of the skin, and skin discoloration at the injection site. Several weeks may pass before some of these adverse effects disappear. You can request to receive the vaccination subcutaneously if you are uncomfortable receiving it intradermally.
- Subcutaneous Vaccination: You can request to receive the vaccine “subcutaneously” if that is what you prefer. This implies that the fat layer just beneath the skin on the back of your upper arm will get an injection of the vaccination (triceps).
You can also ask to receive the vaccination subcutaneously if you have ever developed keloid scars (thick, elevated scars). Both intradermal and subcutaneous administration of the vaccine have been proven to protect against the monkeypox virus.
Although not everyone experiences side effects. Pain, redness, and itching at the injection site are the most frequent adverse reactions to the JYNNEOS vaccine. Along with these symptoms, you could have a fever, headache, fatigue, nausea, chills, and muscular aches. You should note that these are not symptoms of any illness; rather, they are indicators that your immune system is working.
Please note that those who have received the vaccine should keep away from close, skin-to-skin contact with those who have monkeypox. If you haven’t been vaccinated against monkeypox, we offer vaccination services at the C.W. Williams Community Health Center. Don’t hesitate to contact us immediately to schedule a visit.
