<p>The European Commission has approved a smallpox vaccine for use against monkeypox after the World Health Organisation declared monkeypox a global health emergency, the Danish drugmaker that developed the jab said on Monday.</p>.<p>"The European Commission has extended the marketing authorisation for the company's smallpox vaccine, Imvanex, to include protection from monkeypox" in line with a recommendation by the EU's medicines watchdog, Bavarian Nordic said in a statement.</p>.<p>"The approval... is valid in all European Union Member States as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway."</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/who-declares-monkeypox-a-global-health-emergency-here-s-what-it-means-1129806.html">WHO declares monkeypox a global health emergency — Here’s what it means</a></strong></p>.<p>On Saturday, the WHO declared the monkeypox outbreak, which has affected nearly 16,000 people in 72 countries, to be a global health emergency -- the highest alarm it can sound.</p>.<p>Imvanex has been approved in the EU since 2013 for the prevention of smallpox.</p>.<p>It was also considered a potential vaccine for monkeypox because of the similarity between the monkeypox virus and the smallpox virus.</p>.<p>Monkeypox is less dangerous and contagious than smallpox, which was eradicated in 1980.</p>.<p>The first symptoms of monkeypox are fever, headaches, muscle pain and back pain during the course of five days.</p>.<p>Rashes subsequently appear on the face, the palms of hands and soles of feet, followed by lesions, spots and finally scabs.</p>.<p>A surge in monkeypox infections has been reported since early May outside the West and Central African countries where the disease has long been endemic.</p>.<p>The EMA carries out a scientific assessment of drugs and gives a recommendation on whether any medicine should be marketed or not.</p>.<p>However, under EU law the EMA has no authority to actually permit marketing in the different EU countries. It is the European Commission which is the authorising body and takes a legally binding decision based on EMA's recommendation.</p>
<p>The European Commission has approved a smallpox vaccine for use against monkeypox after the World Health Organisation declared monkeypox a global health emergency, the Danish drugmaker that developed the jab said on Monday.</p>.<p>"The European Commission has extended the marketing authorisation for the company's smallpox vaccine, Imvanex, to include protection from monkeypox" in line with a recommendation by the EU's medicines watchdog, Bavarian Nordic said in a statement.</p>.<p>"The approval... is valid in all European Union Member States as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway."</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/who-declares-monkeypox-a-global-health-emergency-here-s-what-it-means-1129806.html">WHO declares monkeypox a global health emergency — Here’s what it means</a></strong></p>.<p>On Saturday, the WHO declared the monkeypox outbreak, which has affected nearly 16,000 people in 72 countries, to be a global health emergency -- the highest alarm it can sound.</p>.<p>Imvanex has been approved in the EU since 2013 for the prevention of smallpox.</p>.<p>It was also considered a potential vaccine for monkeypox because of the similarity between the monkeypox virus and the smallpox virus.</p>.<p>Monkeypox is less dangerous and contagious than smallpox, which was eradicated in 1980.</p>.<p>The first symptoms of monkeypox are fever, headaches, muscle pain and back pain during the course of five days.</p>.<p>Rashes subsequently appear on the face, the palms of hands and soles of feet, followed by lesions, spots and finally scabs.</p>.<p>A surge in monkeypox infections has been reported since early May outside the West and Central African countries where the disease has long been endemic.</p>.<p>The EMA carries out a scientific assessment of drugs and gives a recommendation on whether any medicine should be marketed or not.</p>.<p>However, under EU law the EMA has no authority to actually permit marketing in the different EU countries. It is the European Commission which is the authorising body and takes a legally binding decision based on EMA's recommendation.</p>