UK orders 150,000 MPOX vaccine doses as new strain spreads in Africa
The UK has ordered more than 150,000 MPOX vaccines to bolster preparations after the World Health Organization declared a global emergency following a surge in cases in Africa.
No cases of clade Ib mpox, the new strain that spread rapidly in Africa after an initial outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), have yet been identified in the UK.
However, British health officials said at a briefing on Monday that ordering more vaccines was necessary to boost the country’s resilience to the virus, previously known as monkeypox.
They also outlined three scenarios illustrating the potential impact of an outbreak in the UK.
The first involved small clusters of cases, the second a “controllable epidemic” and the third community transmission in hospitals, nursing homes, prisons and schools. None of the scenarios outlined were projections or predictions, officials said.
“We are preparing for any cases we encounter in the UK and vaccination plays a vital role in our defence,” said Susan Hopkins, the chief medical adviser at the UK’s Health Security Agency.
“In addition to vaccination, we have been working hard to ensure that clinicians are informed and can quickly identify cases, that rapid testing is available, and that protocols are developed to ensure the safe clinical care of people who have the infection and prevent onward transmission.”
Mpox is transmitted through close physical contact. The disease causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions, and is usually mild but can be fatal. Children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems are at greater risk of complications.
Health officials said the vaccine, which is being produced by Bavarian Nordic, will be offered to those eligible in phases and based on clinical need.
Officials said gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, certain health care providers and specialized health care workers, and humanitarian workers traveling to affected countries, and close contacts of confirmed MPOX cases, would be offered a vaccine.
Clade Ib has raised more concerns among health officials than clade IIb, which was responsible for a global outbreak of the virus in 2022. Small numbers of cases of clade IIb have been identified in the United Kingdom for about two years.
A vaccination program was launched in the summer of 2022 and concluded in the summer of 2023. About 50,000 people are reported to have had two doses of the jab, which is 80% effective in preventing mpox cases, while more than 83,000 people have had one dose.
Steve Russell, director of vaccinations and screening at NHS England, said that while the risk of contracting mpox in the UK is low, vaccination provides “a vital level of protection” for those most likely to be exposed.
“We encourage those who are eligible to come forward when invited by their local health departments to ensure they have the best defense,” he added.
Health Minister Wes Streeting said he was closely monitoring the spread of mpox abroad.
He added: “There have been no cases of clade Ib mpox identified in the UK, but we are taking steps to ensure the country is prepared with a robust vaccination programme that protects those who may be at high risk.”