The UK government has procured 150,000 doses of additional mpox vaccine in preparation for anticipated cases of a new potentially deadlier strain causing a growing outbreak in Africa and isolated cases in Europe and Asia detected in recent weeks.
The UK has yet to identify a case of the Clade 1b strain of mpox, and health officials say the risk to the UK remains “low”.
However, its spread outside Africa led the World Health Organization (WHO) last month to declare the resurgence of mpox a “public health emergency of international concern”.
Despite precautions at UK borders, the long incubation time of mpox and likely global spread mean health officials are preparing for its arrival.
In addition to purchasing more doses of mpox vaccine, on Monday the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) published its risk assessment for Clade 1b, including scenarios for a UK outbreak.
“Alongside vaccination, we have been working rapidly to ensure that clinicians are aware and able to recognise cases promptly, that rapid testing is available, and that protocols are developed for the safe clinical care of people who have the infection and the prevention of onward transmission,” said Professor Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at the UKHSA.
The risk assessment is based largely on the ongoing outbreak of Clade 2 mpox that has led to more than 100,000 cases worldwide and nearly 4,000 in the UK.
That strain of the virus has been confined largely to gay and bisexual men and a vaccine campaign centred around sexual health clinics that began in 2022 has been successful in reducing levels of transmission in the UK.
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