The UK Government has ordered more mpox vaccine doses to help boost the country's resilience against clade I mpox, as it also continues to support the international effort to control the disease.
The purchase of more than 150,000 doses of mpox vaccine from Bavarian Nordic will help ensure the UK is well prepared for any cases of clade I mpox that may enter the country. This purchase will enable the NHS to vaccinate those that may be at higher risk of coming into contact with mpox, with separate rollouts across all 4 devolved nations.
The vaccine will be offered to those eligible in stages as it becomes available over time and based on clinical need.
The government has agreed the following people should be offered vaccination, based on expert advice:
- gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) previously identified at higher risk of coming into contact with mpox as a continuation of the clade II mpox vaccination programme, as advised by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) in November 2023 - planning is under way for how and when the vaccine will be rolled out as part of this existing programme
- certain healthcare workers in agreed infectious diseases inpatient units and sexual health services
- certain specialist healthcare and humanitarian workers who go to affected countries to work within mpox response or sites with active outbreaks following a risk assessment
- close contacts of a confirmed case to lower their risk of becoming infected and reducing their risk of severe disease
