"Around 85 percent of smallpox vaccine is still beneficial to prevent monkeypox," he said while delivering a press statement, accessed online from here on Tuesday.
According to the Ministry of Health, the smallpox vaccine was the first vaccine that succeeded in providing protection against pathogenic viral infections. The vaccine was invented by an English doctor, Edward Jenner, in 1776.
Indonesia became one of the countries categorized as free of smallpox in 1980. This cannot be separated from the massive immunization program implemented since 1956.
Related news: Ministry confirms no monkeypox case recorded in Indonesia
Syahril, who also serves as the president director of Sulianti Saroso Hospital, noted that the use of a special vaccine for monkeypox is regulated by the World Health Organization (WHO).
"Usually, there will be a recommendation from WHO, and it will be recommended to countries that really need the vaccine," he said.
According to the WHO, the disease was named monkeypox because the virus was first discovered in monkeys in 1958.
However, in 1970, the first human case of monkeypox was detected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
So far this year, 92 confirmed and 28 suspected cases of monkeypox have been identified in 12 non-endemic countries such as Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, England, and the United States.
The WHO has issued guidelines to anticipate the transmission of monkeypox, which include avoiding skin-to-skin contact with symptomatic people.
The public is also advised to always maintain personal and environmental hygiene by regularly washing hands with water and soap or hand sanitizer, wearing masks, maintaining etiquette when coughing, and maintaining safety during sexual activities.
Related news: Indonesia sets precautionary measures to fight spread of monkeypox
Translator: Andi Firdaus, Raka Adji
Editor: Suharto
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