Irish Examiner: Calls mount for monkeypox vaccination programme

Ann Murphy

There are increasing calls for the rollout of a vaccination programme against monkeypox in this country.

They come after a move by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Saturday to declare the spread of monkeypox a global health emergency — its highest alert level.

The most recent figures from the Health Surveillance Protection Centre confirmed 69 cases of the infection in Ireland. They are among more than 16,000 cases reported globally this year.

The strain which is spreading is the West African monkeypox, with symptoms including fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion. A rash is also associated with it, usually beginning on the face.

The rash is similar in appearance to chickenpox or syphilis.

Infection spreads through close contact, including contact with the rash of someone with monkeypox.

According to the WHO’s top monkeypox expert Dr Rosamund Lewis, 99% of all the monkeypox cases beyond Africa have been in in men, with 98% of those men having sex with men.

Phil Corcoran of the Sexual Health Clinic in Cork City said people are contacting the clinic to find out if there will be a rollout of vaccinations.

“In other countries, like in the UK, there is a targeted rollout and that is something we would like to see here in Ireland," he said. 

Dr John Gilmore, assistant professor in nursing at UCD and Act Up Dublin activist said: “When we know that there is an effective vaccine available, it is negligent not to provide it to those most at risk. 

An effective vaccination programme will not only help curtail the spread of the virus, but also ease the building anxiety amongst gay and bisexual men, who are the most effected.” 

According to the HSPC, vaccinations against monkeypox are being offered “to high or intermediate risk contacts of monkeypox cases identified by the public health teams through contact tracing in the community”.

The HSPC added: “Guidance on vaccination may change depending on further information about the current outbreak, evidence about the vaccine and vaccine supplies."

Mr Corcoran said there was concern that the prevalence of monkeypox among men who have sex with men will stigmatise gay, bisexual men or other men who have sex with men.

He said infectious diseases can affect anyone and should not be used to stigmatise any community.