Public health officials have ordered 100,000 more doses of vaccine to help curb the spread of monkeypox, as the number of UK cases rose to more than 2,000 in the month-long outbreak.
According to figures released by the Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) on Tuesday, confirmed cases have risen to 2,137 in the UK, with 2,050 registered in England. Most infections are found in London and among men who have sex with men.
Despite the continued growth of cases, health officials have revised their guidelines for close contacts of confirmed cases of monkeypox, and no longer require them to be isolated at home if they show no symptoms of the disease.
The decision was made in light of new data showing that only a small number of close contacts of confirmed cases have developed monkeypox and the lack of evidence for transmission beyond intimate or sexual contact, he said. the UKHSA.
More doses of the smallpox vaccine Imvanex, which is effective against smallpox, will arrive from the manufacturer, Bavarian Nordic, this month, and more are expected in September. The NHS is contacting people eligible for the vaccine, including men who are most likely to catch the virus.
“We have now surpassed more than 2,000 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the UK and the outbreak continues to grow,” said Dr Merav Kliner, UKHSA’s Deputy Director of Incidents. “Based on the growing evidence of how the monkeypox virus is transmitted in this outbreak, close contacts will no longer have to be isolated for 21 days unless they develop symptoms.”
While the advice was changing, Kliner said, the monkey’s smallpox remains a “serious public health challenge” and urged confirmed case contacts to “take a break from any activity or event involving skin-to-skin contact, including sex, hugs and kisses “. to reduce the risk of the virus being transmitted without knowing it ”.
He urged people to be alert to the symptoms of monkeypox and call a sexual health clinic if they feel ill. The first symptoms of monkeypox include high temperature, headache, muscle aches and swollen glands. A rash or blister usually appears, which can then spread throughout the body.
Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, head of immunization at the UKHSA, said: “While most cases of monkeypox in the current outbreak are mild, some people can suffer from serious illnesses, so it is important that we use the available vaccine to reach the groups where the transmission takes place. ”