The monkeypox outbreak in the country is plateauing, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), and its rate of spread has reduced. Although the most current data indicates the outbreak’s spread has slowed, Dr Meera Chand, director of clinical and emerging infections at UKHSA, warned against complacency.
As of August 4, there were 2,859 confirmed and highly probable instances of monkeypox in the UK, with over 99% of the cases affecting men, according to a statement from the nation’s health authority. In addition, the UKHSA’s recent investigation revealed that “monkeypox continues to be transmitted primarily in interconnected sexual networks of gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men.”
In June, British authorities advised that gay and bisexual males who were more likely to contract monkeypox should be provided with a vaccine since the viral disease had begun to spread, primarily in Europe. On Tuesday, the United States supported injecting a smaller amount of the vaccine in between layers of the skin in order to deliver up to five consecutive doses rather than a single dose. The vaccine was made to be administered beneath the skin, into a layer of fat.
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The so-called “dose-sparing” strategy has been tested with other vaccines, such as those for polio and yellow fever, but there isn’t enough data to say whether it will be effective for monkeypox. The smallpox vaccine is being given to people who are more likely to come into touch with monkeypox, according to Dr Chand.
Monkeypox was classified as a “public health emergency of international concern” earlier this month by the World Health Organization, the organization’s highest degree of notice. On Thursday, the United States also declared monkeypox a public health emergency, following the WHO’s lead.
(with inputs from agencies)
