The world’s only manufacturer of the monkeypox vaccine doubts whether it can meet the high demand. Mass production would be possible in three months at the earliest, says the vice president of the German-Danish manufacturer.
The only company with an approved monkeypox vaccine isn’t sure it can meet the growing demand. The Vice President of the German-Danish manufacturer, Rolf Sass Sörensen, told the finance portal “Bloomberg” and spoke of a “very dynamic situation”. The company currently only produces at one location in Denmark and has assured that it can handle all orders with its system. However, as the number of cases of monkeypox is increasing worldwide, Bavarian Nordic A/S is now examining whether it is possible to outsource parts of the production.
So far, Bavarian had rejected a technology transfer. The manufacturer’s argument: A transfer to a third-party producer would be too complicated and too expensive. But such a step would enable the necessary mass production, it is now said. “We are looking for ways to get help from partners in the various production steps of the vaccine,” says Sorensen. The CEO, Paul Chaplin, told the Danish newspaper “Börsen” that a possible production transfer to a US manufacturer could take about three months, but there are no concrete negotiations yet.
Cases of monkeypox are increasing across Europe. According to studies, 95 percent of those infected are infected through sexual activity. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), more than 3,000 people were reported for the first time in Germany a few days ago, most of them men who have sexual contact with other men.
The typical skin lesions in particular contain high virus concentrations. Infections are probably also possible through saliva, large droplets and semen. Unlike the corona virus, the pathogen is not transmitted by aerosols when breathing or coughing. There are vaccines, but they are scarce in many countries. Effective drugs are also approved, but are hardly available at the moment.
