The Guardian Australia

UK orders 150,000 mpox vaccine doses amid spread of new strain in Africa

The UK has ordered more than 150,000 doses of vaccine against mpox to bolster its preparedne­ss after the World Health Organizati­on declared a surge in cases in Africa to be a global emergency.

No cases of clade Ib mpox, the new strain that has spread rapidly in Africa after an initial outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), have yet been detected in the UK.

However, UK health officials said at a briefing on Monday that ordering more vaccine was necessary to bolster the country’s resilience against the virus, formerly known as monkeypox.

They also set out three scenarios illustrati­ng the possible impact of a UK outbreak.

The first involved small clusters of cases, the second a “controllab­le epidemic” and the third community transmissi­on in hospitals, care homes, prisons and schools. None of the scenarios outlined were projection­s or prediction­s, officials said.

“We are preparing for any cases that we might see in the UK and vaccinatio­n plays a vital part in our defences,” said Susan Hopkins, the chief medical adviser at the UK Health Security Agency.

“Alongside vaccinatio­n, we have been working rapidly to ensure that clinicians are aware and able to recognise cases promptly, that rapid testing is available, and that protocols are developed for the safe clinical care of people who have the infection and the prevention of onward transmissi­on.”

Mpox is passed on through close physical contact. The disease causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions, and is usually mild but can kill. Children, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of complicati­ons.

The vaccine, made by Bavarian Nordic, would be offered to those eligible in stages, and based on clinical need, health officials said.

Gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men; certain healthcare workers and specialist healthcare and humanitari­an workers who go to affected countries; and close contacts of confirmed mpox cases would be offered vaccines, officials said.

Clade Ib has prompted more concern 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 present in the UK for about two years.

A vaccinatio­n programme was launched in the summer of 2022 and closed in the summer of 2023. It is understood that about 50,000 people have had two doses of the jab, which is 80% effective at preventing mpox cases, while more than 83,000 have had one dose.

Steve Russell, NHS England’s director for vaccinatio­ns and screening, said that while the risk of catching mpox in the UK was low, vaccinatio­n offered “a vital level of protection” for those most likely to be exposed.

“We encourage those eligible to come forward when invited by local health services, to ensure they have the best defence,” he added.

The health secretary, Wes Streeting, said he was closely monitoring the spread of mpox overseas.

He added: “No cases of clade Ib mpox have been detected 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.”