Appointments for monkeypox vaccines are now fully booked out just one day after designated centres for the vaccine opened.
Appointments were being offered as of yesterday to five cohorts listed on the HSE website. The HSE estimates that between 6,000 to 13,000 people could benefit from a primary monkeypox vaccination.
The wider rollout of the smallpox vaccine, which is now being used to help prevent at risk groups from contracting monkeypox, was previously welcomed by groups such as HIV Ireland. Further appointments will be made available in November.
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The HSE have tweeted: “Demand for the monkeypox vaccine has been high and all available vaccine appointments have now been booked. Further appointments will be available at the start of November. Thank you for your patience. We will provide an update as soon as additional appointments become available.”
The vaccine centres in Dublin include the Mater, St James and St Vincent’s Hospital. There are further locations in areas such as Cork, Galway, Limerick, Wexford and Portlaoise. Bookings are made online through the HSE portal, with eligibility for the vaccine being outlined on the website.
The vaccine is administered with two doses, given 28 days apart from each other. The HSE intends to have all high priority groups for the disease vaccinated by the end of the year.
Monkeypox is a rare infection with symptoms including muscle pain, swollen lymph nodes and blistering rashes. There have been 194 cases of the disease to date in Ireland, with 11 patients hospitalised as a result of the virus.
The disease primarily affects gay and bisexual men, as well as men who have sex with men. However, the HSE has previously stated that transmission outside of distinct groups is possible and that complacency should be avoided.
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