Every region will now be able to offer the vaccine for those at increased risk of getting the infection – after previously only being available to those eligible in London, Manchester and Brighton.
Clade 2 mpox has been present in the UK since 2022 – case numbers have decreased since the height of the outbreak in 2022 and currently remain low. Separately, there has been a small number of cases of Clade 1b mpox in this country since October 2024.
‘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,’ said Steve Russell, NHS National Director for Vaccination and Screening.
‘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.’
Mpox can be passed on from person to person through any close physical contact with mpox blisters or scabs. Once infected with mpox, it usually takes between 5 and 21 days for the first symptoms to appear.
The first symptoms of mpox include a high temperature, headache, muscle aches and backache, swollen glands, shivering, exhaustion and joint pain. A rash usually appears 1 to 5 days after the first symptoms and can be on any part of the body.
‘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,’ said Dr Sema Mandal, Consultant Epidemiologist and Deputy Director at UKHSA.