The first shipment of the monkeypox vaccine arrived in Estonia

Heidi Alasepp, vice chancellor of the Ministry of Social Affairs and member of the HERA council, admits that thanks to the cooperation with HERA, Estonia got the necessary amount of vaccines. The Health Board Terviseamet. signed the vaccine contract at the end of July.

The Health Board Terviseamet. will distribute the 800 vaccines to hospitals with the needed storage temperature requirements of -20 °C +/-5 °C. The remaining vaccines will remain in the Health Board warehouse and be issued as required.

The target groups for vaccination are people who have had close contact with a sick person during an infectious period, two days before the symptoms, and lasts until the rush is covered with scabs and the scabs fall off. The target group is primarily those who live under the same roof as the sick person or are their sexual partner.

Healthcare workers who have been in direct contact with a person infected during the contagious period, mainly if the healthcare worker has not used personal protective equipment.

Laboratory workers had occupational contact with infectious material while handling monkeypox infectious material like so injury penetrating the skin and breakage of personal protective equipment.

The administration of the vaccine is for:

1) Persons aged 18-43 and immunocompromised persons over 18 are vaccinated with two doses. The first dose is given within 14 days of exposure but preferably within the first four days. The second dose is given 28 days after the first dose.

2) Persons 44 years of age and older are vaccinated with a single dose within 14 days of exposure, but preferably within the first four days. There is no second dose. An exception is for laboratory workers handling monkeypox-suspected materials, who are given two doses after exposure, regardless of age.

Vaccinations take place at Lääne- Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). Central Hospital, Northern Estonia Regional Hospital, Tartu City in the west of Estonia (pop. 91,000). University Clinic, Pärnu City in the SW of Estonia (pop.40,000). Hospital, or Ida-Viru Central Hospital.