Men who have sex with men and are at “high risk” of getting monkeypox will receive a vaccine to protect against the infection, health officials said today.
Nearly 800 cases of the virus, which are usually seen in Africa alone, have been reported in the UK. Almost all infections so far have been observed in the community of men who have sex with other men.
In a bid to stem the number of cases, the UK’s Health Security Agency (UKHSA) today confirmed that some gay and bisexual men will be offered the Imvanex vaccine – which is 85 per cent effective – to control the outbreak.
According to plans from the same experts who advised the introduction of the Covid vaccine, medics will offer the blow to men who have multiple partners, engage in group sex or visit “sex on the spot” sites.
Until now, the sting was only offered to confirmed cases and their close contacts under a strategy called ring vaccination, which has been shown to work in other outbreaks.
Experts told MailOnline two weeks ago that the next sensible step, if infections continue to rise, would be to expand the vaccination program through targeted introduction for more men who have sex with men, anyone who visits a sexual health clinic and staff. NHS.
That’s when Covid-tired Britons were warned today that the monkeypox epidemic could be 10 times bigger than experts behind grim models used to justify restrictions on blocking. However, the modeling suggests that any increase in cases among groups other than gays and bisexual men is “unlikely.”
Meanwhile, British health officials announced another 219 infections today – the highest daily fee – bringing the UK’s total to 793. London is the hotbed of the virus in the country.
Dozens of countries, including the United States, Spain and Germany, have been affected by the outbreak, the largest ever found outside Africa. Almost all infections so far have been observed in the community of men who have sex with other men.
In a bid to stem the number of cases, the UK’s Health Security Agency (UKHSA) today confirmed that some gay and bisexual men will be offered the Imvanex vaccine – which is 85 per cent effective – to control the outbreak. According to plans from the same experts who advised the introduction of the Covid vaccine, medics will offer the blow to men who have multiple partners, engage in group sex or visit “sex on the spot” sites. Until now, the sting was only offered to confirmed cases and their close contacts under a strategy called ring vaccination, which has been shown to work in other outbreaks.
Chronology of monkeypox
1958: Monkeypox is first discovered when an epidemic of measles-like disease occurs in monkeys kept for testing.
1970: The first human case was reported in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the infection has since been reported in a number of Central and West African countries.
2003: Outbreak of monkeypox in the United States after rodents were imported from Africa. Cases have been reported in both humans and domestic prairie dogs. All human infections followed contact with an infected pet and all patients recovered.
SEPTEMBER 8, 2018: Monkeypox first appeared in the United Kingdom with a Nigerian naval officer who visited Cornwall for training. They were treated at the Royal Free Hospital in London.
SEPTEMBER 11, 2018: A second case of monkeypox in the United Kingdom has been confirmed in Blackpool. It has nothing to do with the first case in Cornwall. Instead, the patient became infected while traveling to Nigeria. They were treated at Victoria Hospital in Blackpool and the Royal University Hospital in Liverpool.
SEPTEMBER 26, 2018: A third person was diagnosed with monkeypox. The person worked at Victoria Hospital in Blackpool and was treating the second case of monkeypox. They received treatment at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.
DECEMBER 3, 2019: A patient was diagnosed with monkeypox in England, the fourth case in history.
MAY 25, 2021: Two cases of monkeypox have been identified in North Wales. Both patients traveled to Nigeria.
A third person living with one of the cases was diagnosed and admitted to hospital, which reduces the total to seven.
MAY 7, 2022: A man was diagnosed with monkeypox in England after recently traveling to Nigeria. The person received care in the Infectious Diseases Expert Unit at the Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London. Experts speculate that the virus had been spreading in the UK for months before the case was spotted.
MAY 14, 2022: Two more cases were confirmed in London. The infected couple lived in the same household, but were not in contact with the case announced a week earlier.
One of these people was taken care of by the Infectious Diseases Expert Unit at St Mary’s Hospital in London. The other was isolated at home and did not need hospital treatment.
MAY 16, 2022: Four more cases have been announced, bringing the total number in the UK to seven. Three of these cases are in London, while one of their contacts is infected in the north-east of England.
UKHSA first confirmed that the many cases described as “unusual” and “surprising” were predominantly gay and bisexual, and advised them to look for new rashes.
MAY 19, 2022: Two more cases were discovered, without travel links or links to other cases. The cases are based in the Southeast and London. Fears that the infections remained undetected began to grow.
MAY 20, 2022: Eleven more cases are announced, meaning that the monkeypox epidemic in Britain has doubled to 20. Ministers discuss the possibility of a public health campaign to warn gays that the disease may be more prevalent for them
MAY 23-26, 2022: Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland register their first cases of monkeypox.
MAY 29, 2022: The World Health Organization (WHO) says the risk of monkeypox is “moderate”, citing fears of virus infection in children and immunosuppressed people if it becomes more widespread.
JUNE 7, 2022: UKHSA declares monkeypox a notifiable disease. This means that all medics must alert local health authorities to suspicious cases. The tropical virus now has the same legal status as plague, rabies and measles.
UKHSA today published a strategy that stipulates that some gay and bisexual men at “higher risk” of being exposed to monkeypox should be offered a vaccine to control the epidemic.
Anyone can catch the virus, which spreads through close contact with an infected person. But most cases in the ongoing leap are among the “sex networks” of men who have sex with men.
Monkeypox, which will be renamed because of claims that it discriminates against Africa, is not usually a sexually transmitted infection.
But it is believed that this is the main mode of transmission in the ongoing outbreak.
The virus, first discovered in laboratory monkeys in the 1950s, can also be spread by touching clothing, bedding or towels used by someone who is infected.
Under plans approved by the Joint Vaccination and Immunization Committee (JCVI), those eligible for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) – a pill that protects against HIV – will also be eligible for the vaccine.
This includes people who do not always use condoms during sex and are likely to continue not to use them, as well as prostitutes or their clients who report having sex without condoms.
NHS England needs to set out the details of how eligible people can be vaccinated. People are advised not to come for the vaccine until they have been contacted.
In addition to gays and bisexual men, the list of NHS employees eligible for the strike is also expanding.
Healthcare professionals caring for monkeypox patients in specialized high-impact infectious disease (HICD) departments are now being offered stings. But now staff at other hospitals designed to care for monkeypox patients will also be offered a stroke, as will laboratory workers who are testing for the virus.
Dr Mary Ramsey, UKHSA’s head of immunization, said: “Our extensive contact tracing work has helped curb the spread of the monkeypox virus, but we continue to see a significant proportion of cases in gays, bisexuals and other men who have sex with men.
“By extending the supply of vaccines to those at higher risk, we hope to break the chain of transmission and help control the outbreak.
“Although most cases are mild, severe disease can occur in some people, so it is important to use the available vaccine for target groups where the spread continues. The NHS will soon set out the details of how it will be delivered – so don’t go out for the vaccine yet. “
UKHSA urges all Britons to be alert to any new spots, ulcers or blisters on any part of their body, especially if they have had close contact with a new partner. Those with symptoms are told to avoid close contact with others and call NHS 111 or your local sexual health center.
Alex Sparrowhock, a health promotion specialist at the HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust, said: “This targeted vaccination program is a positive development, while data still show that smallpox affects disproportionately gay and bisexual men in the UK.”
Robbie de Santos, director of communications and foreign affairs at the LGBT charity Stonewall, said he welcomed the offer of the vaccine to those most at risk of contracting the virus.
He said: “It is important for gays and men to get the vaccine when they are offered it to protect themselves and others. Let us help control the epidemic so that we can all have a safe and happy season of pride.
This comes after UKHSA confirmed today that the epidemic in Britain has risen by 38 percent from Friday to 793.
Among the 766 cases with confirmed addresses, 498 are in London, 37 are in the Southeast and 26 are in the Northwest. All other regions registered 20 cases or less.
Public health in Scotland said on Sunday that all cases appeared to be “generally mild and not life-threatening” with no reported deaths in the UK to date.
The incidence of monkeypox was on average 37 years old, health officials said.
Meanwhile, scientists behind the simulation of monkeypox, which warns of another 10,000 cases, include Professor John …
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