Last Updated on September 3, 2022, 4:47 AM AST by Anthony Morris
Minister of Health and Wellness of Jamaica, Dr Christopher Tufton, revealed that the first set of vaccines for the treatment of monkeypox is expected to arrive in the country this month.
On Wednesday, the minister of Health and Wellness revealed that “We have a priority group which the health professionals will target, This treatment is similar to what we [did] with the COVID-19 [vaccine distribution], and once the vaccines for Monkeypox arrive, we will offer it to the (priority) group.”
The island has now recorded its seventh case of the disease, just before the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, and Dr Tufton called on parents to be vigilant.
He also advised maintaining the same health and safety precautions and protocols to manage the spread of COVID-19 within schools.
These include social-distancing protocols, wearing masks, frequent handwashing, and having designated areas for sanitization on school premises.
Meanwhile, Dr Jacqueline Wright James, Senior Medical Officer for the Spanish Town Hospital and Consultant Pediatrician, reported that there was no need to panic, as the number of cases isn’t extremely high in the country.”
She also stated that a child’s infection risk is lower than an adult’s. However, she added that they had encountered some cases of infections in children; thus, it cannot be considered impossible.
She stated that we have been through the Coronavirus pandemic for the last two and a half years, and the measures we enforced to reduce the spread are the same ones we will implement for monkeypox.”
People with a monkeypox infection get a rash that may be located on or near the genitals (penis, testicles, labia, and vagina) or near the anus. The infection or inflammation could be in other areas like feet, chest, hands, face or mouth etc.
- The rash of the monkeypox infection will go through several stages, including scabs, before it heals.
- The rash may initially look like pimples or blisters and may be painful or itchy.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
