A public health expert has warned that education and nursery staff need to be better prepared to prevent the spread of monkeypox as cases in Scotland rise to almost 70.
Professor Devi Sridhar has called for guidelines to be issued to prevent monkeypox in nurseries and schools after it was reported that a nursery worker in the US potentially exposed children to the virus.
“Monkeypox is spread through close skin-to-skin contact,” Professor Sridhar wrote on Twitter. “This is just basic prevention. I don’t think anyone wants their child to come home with this disease.
Another example of why we need prevention guidelines for monkeypox in kindergartens and schools -> it is mainly spread by close skin-to-skin contact. (And this is just basic prevention -> I don’t think anyone wants their child to come home with this disease)
— Prof. Devi Sridhar (@devisridhar) August 6, 2022
The World Health Organization (WHO) previously declared the outbreak in more than 70 countries a global emergency.
The US has since followed up and declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency last week.
In the case, cited by the University of Edinburgh’s Department of Public Health, a case emerged in Illinois on Friday when a staff member at a daycare center tested positive for monkeypox after working with children.
READ MORE: World Health Organization declares monkeypox a ‘global emergency’.
Youth who have been exposed to the virus are being screened by officials, and the US Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of a vaccine that is currently only approved for adults.
In the latest update on the spread of the virus, Public Health Scotland revealed that 67 cases have been officially confirmed north of the border.
There are 2,768 confirmed cases in the UK as of 4 August, with an additional 91 highly probable cases of monkeypox.
Most of the UK cases have been confirmed in Scotland, particularly London.
PHS said people in Scotland who have been diagnosed as positive receive care in accordance with nationally approved protocols and guidelines.
Speaking to the Sunday Mail, Glasgow Pride chief executive Ewan McLeod said: “When people hear that this is a state of emergency and not much is happening outside of London, it’s worrying for people in our communities.
“You can walk into any bar and find leaflets about Covid but nothing about monkeypox.
“As a result of the lack of information, people are turning to social media to share advice and experiences.
“I also know of several people who travel to London to queue for vaccines as there is no capacity here.”
According to the PHS, 3,000 doses of the smallpox vaccine have been distributed to Scotland from UK stocks.
The Scottish Government said: “People who are considered to be at risk are being offered the vaccine.”
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