United Kingdom to Offer Monkeypox Vaccine to Gay and Bi Men
The Associated Press.While monkeypox is not currently defined as a sexually-transmitted infection, it can be passed on by close or intimate contact that occurs during sex, either through respiratory droplets or through contact with sores or bedding and clothing that has touched pox sores.
Health officials warn that anyone who is in close, physical contact with someone infected or their clothing or bedsheets is at risk of acquiring the disease, regardless of sexual orientation.However, in the United Kingdom, where there are 793 confirmed cases of monkeypox, 99% of those infected are men, and men who have sex with men comprise the majority of cases among that sub-group.Last month, Dr.
David Heymann, the chairman of the World Health Organization Emergency Committee, told reporters that WHO researchers had traced monkeypox cases in Spain and Germany to sexual activity stemming from LGBTQ events, including a Gay Pride celebration in Spain’s Canary Islands, and the Darklands Festival, a large-scale fetish festival held in Antwerp, Belgium.Until last month, monkeypox’s spread was largely confined to central or West Africa.
There have been more than 1,500 reported cases and 72 suspected deaths in Africa as part of a separate epidemic, unrelated to the infections spreading in Europe and other developed countries.Vaccines have never been used to control monkeypox before, although the Imvanex vaccine, which was originally developed for smallpox, is believed to be about 85% effective in preventing monkeypox.Heretofore, vaccines were only available for health workers taking care of monkeypox patients, or for cleaners who have to disinfect areas or linens contaminated by the virus.
