European Commission Approves Monkeypox Vaccine

Image copyright: Reuters [via Al Jazeera]

The Facts

  • On Mon., the European Commission approved the Danish company Bavarian Nordic's smallpox vaccine for use against monkeypox.

  • Already approved for use against monkeypox in the US and Canada, the vaccine Imvanex can now be marketed in all 27 EU member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.


The Spin

Narrative A

Governments worldwide have dropped the ball regarding this outbreak. Countries like the US, where vaccines were already available, have allowed monkeypox patients to go weeks without a diagnosis or treatment, which is why we've seen growing cases and even deaths among vulnerable populations.

Narrative B

While vaccine approval is good news, most people can naturally recover from monkeypox and don't face significant life-threatening risks from contracting the virus. For the time being, at least, we should be focused on distributing the shot to those who are immunocompromised and most vulnerable.


Metaculus Prediction


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