The UK Health Security Agency has reported a sharp drop in the number of mpox cases from January to March 2023. Only nine cases were reported in the country during this period, compared to a high of 350 cases per week in July 2022. Eight of these cases were in England, out of which four were believed to have been acquired within the UK, while the remaining case was reported in Scotland, concerning a returning traveler. The UK government has confirmed the ending of the mpox vaccination program, despite the World Health Organization still considering the virus a public health emergency.
However, eligible individuals, particularly those in the LGBT community, are still being urged to get vaccinated before the campaign winds down. Dr. Gayatri Amirthalingam, Deputy Director of Public Health Programs at UKHSA, emphasized the importance of vaccination in reducing severe symptoms and preventing transmission. While uptake for first doses has been strong, only around a third of those who have received their first dose have had their second dose so far.
The mpox outbreak began in May 2022, and since then, there have been around 90,000 cases with 112 deaths recorded worldwide. The drop in cases in the UK is a positive development, and Dr. Katy Sinka, head of sexually transmitted infections at UKHSA, hopes to maintain this trend and move towards eliminating transmission of the disease in the country.
Impact on the LGBT Community
The mpox virus can be transmitted through close contact with infected animals or humans, and it can cause a severe rash, fever, and other flu-like symptoms. Individuals in the LGBT community, particularly men who have sex with men, are at a higher risk of contracting mpox due to their increased likelihood of exposure to the virus.
While the UK is winding down its mpox vaccine campaign, eligible individuals in the LGBT community are being urged to get vaccinated before the summer months for maximum protection. The UK government has extended the deadline for the first dose until 16 June and the second dose until 31 July.
The sharp drop in mpox cases in the UK is a positive development, but the virus remains a public health emergency, according to the World Health Organization. The UK government is ending its vaccine campaign against the virus, but individuals in the LGBT community, particularly men who have sex with men, are still being encouraged to get vaccinated before the campaign winds down. The vaccination is key to reducing severe symptoms and preventing transmission, and eligible individuals can find a mpox vaccination site on the NHS website.