Recommends the offer of Imvanex smallpox vaccine, which proves to be effective against the virus. The UKHSA said a doctor could advise vaccination for someone who “has multiple partners, engages in group sex or goes to” on-site sex “. Anyone can be infected with monkey pox, but the agency said the data showed higher levels of transmission “within, but not exclusively, the sexual networks of homosexuals, bisexuals and other men who have sex with men”. Monkey pox is not classified as a sexually transmitted infection, but it can be transmitted through close contact that occurs during sex. There were 793 confirmed cases in the United Kingdom as of 20 June: 766 in England, 18 in Scotland, three in Northern Ireland and six in Wales. The strategy has been approved by the Joint Vaccination and Immunization Committee (JCVI), which has led the UK’s vaccination approach against COVID. Previously, the UKHSA recommended a vaccine only for close contact with cases, including health care workers. NHS England is going to give details soon on how eligible people can get jumps. People are advised not to show up until they communicate. Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunization at UKHSA, said contact detection was helping to curb the spread of smallpox in monkeys and that by offering a vaccine they hoped to “break the transmission chains”. “Although most cases are mild, serious illness can occur in some people, so it is important to use the available vaccine to target groups where the spread is continuous,” he said. People are advised to watch out for new spots, ulcers or blisters on any part of their body – especially if they have been in close contact with a new partner. Anyone with these symptoms should avoid close contact with others and call NHS 111 or their local sexual health center. More than 2,500 cases of smallpox have been reported in more than 35 countries outside Africa, where the virus is endemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) said last week that the virus would be renamed after experts called for a non-discriminatory alternative.
