Health officials have ordered more than 100,000 additional doses of the monkeypox vaccine, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed in an update on Tuesday. The single-dose jab is being offered to close contacts with higher risk exposure on a case-by-case basis.
Imvanex is a smallpox vaccine which has previously been used for monkeypox in the UK. People eligible for the jab include healthcare workers and close contacts of infected people.
Close contacts won't need to isolate at home if they don't have symptoms, according to guidance updated on Tuesday. The UKHSA said the decision was made in response to data that showed a small number of close contacts developed monkeypox and a lack of evidence of transmission outside of close intimate or sexual contact.
As of July 18, there were 2,137 confirmed cases in the UK, of which 2,050 are in England. There have been 46 laboratory-confirmed cases of the virus in Scotland since May 23.
As monkeypox is caused by a virus similar to the one that causes smallpox, "vaccines designed for smallpox are considered effective in preventing or reducing the severity of monkeypox", says NHS Inform.
The vaccine helps your body's immune system produce its own protection (antibodies) against the smallpox virus. Imvanex does not contain the smallpox virus, nor can it spread or cause smallpox.
Who is eligible for the monkeypox vaccine?
The monkeypox vaccine is recommended only for groups who are at higher risk of developing monkeypox.
Anyone can get monkeypox, but health officials say the majority of cases in the UK continue to be in gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM), with the infection being passed on mainly through close contact between people in interconnected sexual networks.
Vaccination post-exposure to monkeypox
You may be offered the vaccine if you've had significant contact with someone with confirmed monkeypox.
The NHS says: "The vaccine is most effective when given within four days from the date of exposure to prevent disease. However, it can be given up to 14 days after exposure if you're at high risk of ongoing exposure or at risk of more severe disease. This may reduce your symptoms but may not prevent disease."
People will be offered a single dose of the monkeypox jab, but will be advised if they require further doses.
Jabs without monkeypox exposure
The vaccine may also be recommended for some people before they come into contact with the infection, such as healthcare workers in high-risk settings who are likely to care for a patient with monkeypox.
"A single dose of the vaccine should be offered as soon as possible to provide some benefit straight away and some longer-term protection," says the NHS. "You may be offered a second dose at least 28 days after the first if you'll continue to come into contact with monkeypox at work."
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