It will be administered to people at high risk of exposure, as well as close contacts at high risk of severe disease

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The first consignment of vaccines to prevent monkeypox among people at high risk has arrived in the Balearic Islands. Specifically, 95 doses have been distributed according to proportional criteria of population and cases detected on each island, with 60 doses for Mallorca, 24 for Eivissa, 4 for Formentera and 7 for Menorca. The vaccines will be stored in the hospitals of Can Misses, Mateu Orfila and Son Espases, and from there they will be distributed to the health centres where they will be administered in the cases prescribed. More shipments are expected to arrive as the Ministry of Health receives them and distributes them among the autonomous communities.

The vaccines will be administered to candidates who meet the following criteria:

a) Pre-exposure prophylaxis for people under 45 years of age who engage in high-risk sexual practices included within the indications for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) or with HIV infection under follow-up in hospital consultations and who have not passed the disease. It will also be administered to people at very high risk of exposure.

b) Post-exposure prophylaxis for confirmed close contacts at high risk of severe disease (children, pregnant women and immunocompromised persons) and health care and laboratory personnel in contact with confirmed cases or samples and who have had any incidence with personal protective equipment (PPE).

Pre-exposure will be prioritised over post-exposure. Therefore, in the first place, vaccination will be given to persons included in group a) and a number of vaccines will be reserved in each group for contacts of professionals and for close contacts of persons at very high risk: pregnant women, children and immunocompromised persons.

The Servei de Epidemiologia de la Direcció General de Salut Pública i Participació confirmed until yesterday, 28 July, a total of 100 cases of monkeypox in the Balearic Islands, of which 6 correspond to Formentera, 44 to Eivissa, 2 to Menorca and 48 to Mallorca.