With the new demand, the number of vaccines purchased by the United States has increased from 1.4 million doses to 1.9 million, although a large part of them will remain in the possession of the Danish North Bavarian biotech company for the vaccine maker until the US government proposes their delivery.
The announcement said that the bulk materials from which the vaccine is made, which is currently owned by the United States, will be able to produce 13 million frozen doses between 2023 and 2025.
According to health experts quoted by Politico, there is no need for a universal smallpox vaccine, the vaccine is only important for those at risk. However, due to the increasing number of cases, the demand for the vaccine has also jumped: after America, the European Union is also expected to conclude negotiations on the supply of vaccines.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recorded a total of 45 cases of smallpox in 16 US states, but experts say the infection could spread further, as in Europe. The number of infected people in Europe is already more than a hundred.
Excluding countries where the virus is otherwise endemic, the global infection rate exceeds 1,300 identified cases. The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on countries to publish the number of vaccines available to them and, if necessary, to consider sharing them with other countries. However, the United States has not yet announced its decision.
