Preparedness to deal with any kind of smallpox event – whether natural re-emergence, accidental or deliberate release of the live virus, or created through synthetic biology – requires global and national attention.
- specific education of health-care personnel in the differential diagnosis of smallpox
- strengthening laboratory capacities for diagnostics and networks for the detection of variola virus
- expansion of expertise in the area of laboratory biosafety and biosecurity
- strengthening of national-level biosafety regulations in all countries
WHO has updated its recommendations concerning the distribution, handling and synthesis of variola virus DNA following the synthetic biology consultations with the inputs of the Advisory Committee for Variola Virus Research to this purpose.
Table: Status of smallpox research and medical countermeasures - June 2021
Public health measures for a smallpox event should be applied more widely to all other dangerous pathogens. As current events continue to demonstrate, this level of global preparedness for emerging infectious diseases is a much-needed investment for all Member States.
WHO Smallpox Vaccine Emergency Stockpile
This document describes the WHO Smallpox Vaccine Emergency Stockpile (SVES) and the considerations and processes needed for countries to request vaccine in the event of a smallpox outbreak.
Operational framework for the deployment of the WHO smallpox vaccine emergency stockpile in response to a smallpox event (December 2017)