Twelve new mpox vaccination sites have opened across England, after another case of a strain of the virus was found in the UK.
Health officials announced the new sites so every region in the country will be able to offer jabs to those at a higher risk of getting the infection.
Previously, vaccines were only available to eligible people at sites across London, Brighton in East Sussex, and Manchester.
Now, new locations in areas including Birmingham, Nottingham, Sheffield, Sunderland, Leeds, Liverpool and Bristol will open vaccination services.
The NHS offers the mpox vaccine to those deemed a higher risk of catching the virus, such as men who have sex with other men and have multiple partners.
The first case of clade 1b mpox, which is different from the strain that has been circulating at low levels in the UK since 2022, was detected in England in October.
Britain’s health security agency (UKHSA) said on Friday that another case of the clade lb has been detected, the eighth case confirmed in the country since October last year.
The UKHSA said the new case - detected in London in a patient who had recently returned from Uganda which is seeing community transmission of the variant - had no links to the previous cases identified in England.
Clade Ib mpox has been circulating in several countries in Africa in recent months. Imported cases have been detected in a number of countries including Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Sweden and the United States.
Steve Russell, NHS national director for vaccination and screening, said: “The NHS is fully prepared to respond to mpox and the latest cases of clade 1b, with local services pulling out all the stops to vaccinate those eligible since it first became present in England, and tens of thousands in priority groups already coming forward and getting protected.
“While the risk to the public remains low, it is important that eligible people across England are able to access mpox vaccines easily, which is why we are now offering the jabs at even more sites across the country in line with supply.
“So, if you meet the eligibility criteria please come forward and get protected, simply search on the NHS website to find the vaccination site closest to you.”
Symptoms of mpox include skin rash with blisters, spots or ulcers that can appear anywhere on the body, as well as fever, headache, backache and muscle aches.
A rash usually appears one to five days after a fever, headache and other symptoms.
Mpox spreads between people through direct contact with rashes, skin lesions or scabs caused by the virus, including during sexual contact, kissing, cuddling or other skin-to-skin contact.
There is also a risk from contact with bodily fluids such as saliva or snot; contact with bedding or towels or clothing; and a possibility of spread through close and prolonged face-to-face contact such as talking, breathing, coughing, or sneezing.
The new locations are:
– Birmingham, West Midlands
– Nottingham
– Sheffield, South Yorkshire
– Sunderland, Tyne and Wear
– Hull, East Yorkshire
– Leeds, West Yorkshire
– Liverpool, Merseyside
– Blackpool, Lancashire
– Southampton, Hampshire
– Bristol
– Exeter, Devon
– Hatfield, Hertfordshire
Dr Sema Mandal, consultant epidemiologist and deputy director at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), added: “It’s great to see mpox vaccination now available in every region across England, offering gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men at highest risk the opportunity for vital protection against the disease.
“If you think you may have mpox or notice anything unusual, new lesions or a rash with blisters, seek medical advice, stay at home and avoid close contact with other people until you’ve been advised what to do.
“Clade 2 mpox cases remain low but have not gone away, and vaccination plays a key part in our defences.
“It is now even easier to take up mpox vaccination and so I would urge anyone eligible to come forward and take advantage of this offer.”
