The NHS in England is expanding access to mpox vaccination for high-risk groups after delivery of new vaccine stocks.
It follows an announcement in September that the Government has purchased more than 150,000 doses of mpox vaccine with plans to roll out a campaign to eligible group ‘in stages’.
Earlier this week, UK public health officials reported another case of clade Ib mpox bringing the total number reported in the country to seven.
The individual was being treated by specialist teams after contracting the infection in Uganda where there is community spread of clade Ib mpox. An eighth unrelated case was announced today, also linked with travel to Uganda.
A letter to healthcare professionals seen by Pulse, explained that delivery of vaccine arrived in January and all NHS England regions would now implement at least one pre-exposure vaccination site.
Eligible groups for vaccination set out in the letter include:
- High-risk gay and bisexual men who have sex with men. Risk is based on history of multiple partners, participating in group sex, attending sex-on-premises venues or based on proxy markers such as recent bacterial sexually transmitted infection (in the past year). It should also include transgender females or gender diverse people assigned male at birth who have equivalent risk.
- Other individuals who have frequent close and intimate contact with the network at risk of mpox may also be vaccinated, irrespective of their identified gender. This would include staff who work in GBMSM sex-on-premises venues, such as saunas, if they are regularly exposed to items (e.g. linen) or surfaces likely to be contaminated with body fluids or skin cells.
Most health and social care workers are not considered to be at risk, and do not require vaccination, it continued.
But the vaccine will also be available to people who are known contacts of people with confirmed clade I mpox through regional health protection teams.
Anyone who is eligible but did not complete the two-dose schedule for full vaccination in the 2022 vaccine offer can also get it now, the advice said.
People who think they may be eligible will be able to self-refer with the NHS providing a list of sites. Information will largely be provided through Sexual Health Services.
