Gay men could be given vaccine for monkeypox

We need new plan, say scientists

A VACCINATION programme for gay and bisexual men may be needed to tackle monkeypox, experts have suggested.

Amid a global outbreak including countries such as Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Australia, the US and Israel, the number of cases reached 70 in England, as of Monday,

In Scotland, a single monkeypox patient is being treated in an infectious diseases unit as a precaution, Public Health Scotland announced on Monday.

Scottish Health Secretary Humza Yousaf has predicted there will be more cases north of the Border but insisted there is still a ‘low risk’ to the public.

It has been suggested the disease is being transmitted outside Africa through ‘superspreader events’, including festivals and raves.

A large proportion of UK cases are among gay and bisexual men and the virus causing monkeypox spreads through close contact. To protect this group, it is being suggested a vaccine for men who have sex with men could be considered.

Paul Hunter, professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia, said: ‘If this outbreak hasn’t peaked within a few weeks, we need to start looking at offering vaccines to gay men, bisexual men and men who have sex with men.

‘It’s common sense to offer this group a preventative option to protect them against monkeypox, while being careful not to stigmatise them.

‘We’ll never need to vaccinate the entire population because the risk is so low, but targeted vaccination is sensible. The strategy of offering men who have sex with men a one-off jab is top of the list of the next actions we will need to take.’

Dr Jake Dunning, consultant in infectious diseases at London’s Royal Free Hospital, said vaccination for gay and bisexual men should be considered ‘in principle’.

He said: ‘It requires data first to identify these men as a group with an ongoing, particular risk of acquiring or being exposed to monkeypox. This needs to be done rapidly.’

Officials are not thought to be considering vaccinating gay and bisexual men, but have not ruled it out.

The UK had 5,000 doses of smallpox vaccine Imvanex, which gives around 85 per cent protection from monkeypox, before the outbreak. UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid directed officials to buy 20,000 more.

Dr Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at the UK Health Security Agency, said: ‘We are currently vaccinating high-risk contacts.’

She added they would work with the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation before considering wider vaccination strategies.

‘Common sense to offer protection’