“There is no time for reflection and we must continue to work together to get control of the outbreak,” writes Kyriakides in the letter, which TT has seen.
The health commissioner describes the Union as an “epicenter of detected cases” and suggests three actions that should be prioritized: finding and identifying disease cases, isolating victims and tracing infections, and vaccinating.
In addition, member states are asked to increase communication work about the risks without creating panic or contributing to the stigmatization of those affected.
Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the spread of monkeypox an international health emergency, the organization’s most serious situation.
In total, over 16,000 cases of monkeypox have been detected in 74 countries since May.
The EU has secured the purchase of 160,000 doses of vaccine against the disease. More purchases of both the vaccine and an antiviral treatment are being prepared, according to Kyriakides.