Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu’s statement on acne!

Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu said the acne outbreak belongs to the same family as smallpox.

Minister Memişoglu noted that the World Health Organization declared a state of emergency in July 2022 and stressed that the disease is transmitted through close contact and has a low mortality rate.

Memişoglu said in a statement:

-The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a state of emergency. What does this mean? The disease is endemic, can be transmitted, spread by contact, and he advises countries to take their own preventive measures.

– We convened a scientific committee, prepared what we were going to do based on the advice of scientists, and published a guide that not only informed people about the disease but also told people what to do if they had it.

– In addition to this, we have preparations. As the Ministry of Health, we are vigilant about the measures that will be taken, from vaccination to testing. But this should not cause fear or anxiety in society. As a health system, we are ready for everything. Our health infrastructure has withstood the test of Covid-19 and earthquake disasters. We are a country that provides exemplary healthcare services in the world. I think there is no need to be afraid and panic, and we will continue to maintain our current position, take precautions, plan and monitor closely.

-Based on the information we are getting from scientists, there is a view that it will not cause a pandemic like the new coronavirus because it is a virus that is spread by contact, not by breathing, and even if it did happen, a pandemic would not occur.

– It may appear occasionally, but it will not become an epidemic. What I want to express is that we do not need any additional precautions now.

– Monkeypox and smallpox are from the same family of viruses. Their vaccines and treatments are similar.

-Smallpox no longer exists in the world. But we didn’t vaccinate against smallpox until the 1980s. After the 1980s, we stopped following WHO recommendations. Scientists will study how the virus will develop.

-Obviously, it doesn’t exist in our country, it hasn’t been seen. And we have people coming to the emergency room at the hospital asking if I have monkeypox. But we do these tests, we look at the clinics, we ask questions, there is no diagnosis, contact or examination for such diseases.

-If we make such a diagnosis, we will report it and take necessary measures, including quarantine. But people should not panic, rest assured that we, as healthcare professionals, have taken all precautions. I hope it will not come to our country, but if it does, we will take necessary actions.

— We will not take any measures against African students at the moment. We can change our policy depending on how the virus develops. But we don’t need such things right now. In an era when human life is so dynamic, you may not be able to calculate where the disease may come from, and you may not be able to prevent it.

– We will do our best to take all precautions. The frequency of entry from some areas may be higher, and we will take corresponding precautions.

– In healthcare, you need to keep an eye on these types of illnesses. Health conditions can change instantaneously from hour to hour. A virus is a microorganism that can change itself. Especially after the coronavirus pandemic, we are very concerned about this kind of news.

Testing and vaccines

– We have the capability to do PCR testing for these. We have the capability to manufacture and produce the test kits.

– There are 7 countries in the world that can produce COVID-19 vaccines, and our country is one of them. A country that can produce COVID-19 vaccines in a short time can also produce all vaccines. We claim that we will complete all vaccinations. Our manpower is also at the capacity of our industry in this regard. We have not made any special efforts to procure vaccines for endemic diseases.

-We have the capacity to supply and produce this vaccine if necessary. People should not worry about this. Regarding the vaccine, we have now turned to political policy to produce these vaccines and make our own vaccines. We are working with friends to see how long it will take.

– The publication of this guide at our border crossings is to somehow ensure that people there are sensitized to it. The virus may not cause symptoms in the first 4-5 days, but there is a risk of transmission.

– No matter how many precautions you take, you may not show any symptoms in the first stage. That is why we tell those who are at least able to detect skin lesions and control such entry should be more sensitive. Customs is sensitive to this issue.

– We are not taking any special precautions or restrictions. As we are aware, we have been working to ensure that the people at the entrance are more sensitive and cautious about this issue. We take all precautions, but there are no restrictions. Information has been provided.