60 vials of monkeypox vaccine on island | Guam News | postguam.com – The Guam Daily Post

The Vaccine and Antiviral Prioritization Policy Committee, the group that developed the requirements for who was eligible for a COVID-19 jab when supply couldn't meet demand, convened once more Wednesday to discuss the limited number of doses of vaccine available on Guam for monkeypox cases.

The island's current supply would be able to distribute doses of vaccine to fewer than 200 people.

We have the first shipment of 60 vials and, if we use the alternative regiment, ... we get five doses instead of one dose out of every vial. So 60 vials - thats 150 people, Dr. Robert Leon Guerrero, Department of Public Health and Social Services interim chief medical officer, said of the two-dose vaccine.

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The monkeypox vaccine is given to individuals in two separate subcutaneous injections.

But, given the relatively low supply, not every resident on Guam who wants to get vaccinated will be able to - at least for now.

I think the decision was to just give the vaccine to those with known exposure to someone with monkeypox, Leon Guerrero said. To try to give it pre-exposure is going to be a daunting task because, again, we only have enough doses for 150 people.

Leon Guerrero went on to explain that monkeypox is transmitted mainly through close or intimate contact.

It's usually men who have sex with men. (If doses are given on a large scale,) the vaccine will disappear in a couple of days ... and the next shipment will be for 20 vials, which is 50 people, thats it, Leon Guerrero said.

Testing recommendations

Testing through a health care provider is currently recommended to those experiencing a rash consistent with monkeypox, or for people who think they may have come in contact with a person positive for monkeypox, Leon Guerrero said.

The first monkeypox case on island was reported Monday by Public Health. The patient has been identifiedonly as an incoming traveler. DPHSS said the imported case of monkeypox does not present a risk to the community.

With this particular case, there was no contact, so theres no one being quarantined as of yet because there are no close contacts for this particular case, Leon Guerrero said.

Governors communication director Krystal Paco-San Augustin confirmed Monday that the imported case was linked to a domestic flight. DPHSS previously noted that the inbound passenger was advised not to travel, but did so anyway.

"This test that he had done, where he had came from, came back positive. Since then, no further cases of monkeypox, Leon Guerrero said.

Symptoms

DPHSS continues to educate the community on reducing risk for transmission and symptoms to look out for.

A pimple or blister-like rash around the genitals, hands, feet, chest, face or mouth is associated with symptoms caused bymonkeypox. The rash goes through several stages before scabbing and healing.

Other symptoms ofmonkeypoxcan include:

Fever.

Chills.

Swollen lymph nodes.

Exhaustion.

Muscle aches and backache.

Headache.

Respiratory symptoms (e.g. sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough).

Monkeypoxis transmitted through direct contact, often skin-to-skin, or through touching objects previously touched by an infected person. The illness typically lasts two to four weeks, according to DPHSS.

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60 vials of monkeypox vaccine on island | Guam News | postguam.com - The Guam Daily Post