U.K. to offer vaccines to some gay, bisexual men for monkeypox

The vaccine was originally developed for smallpox, a related disease, but is thought to be about 85 percent effective against monkeypox.

British health officials will start offering vaccines to some men who are gay or bisexual or have sex with men, who are at the highest risk of catching monkeypox, in an effort to curb the biggest outbreak of the disease beyond Africa.

Britain’s Health Security Agency said in a statement on Tuesday that doctors could consider vaccination for some men who are gay or bisexual and men who have sex with men at the highest risk of exposure, whom they defined as people with “multiple partners, (who participate) in group sex or (attend) ‘sex on premises’ venues.”

“By expanding the vaccine offer to those at higher risk, we hope to break chains of transmission and help contain the outbreak,” said the Health Security Agency’s head of immunization, Dr. Mary Ramsay.

Last month, a leading adviser to the World Health Organization said that the monkeypox outbreak beyond Africa was likely spread by sexual activity by men at raves in Spain and Belgium.

Vaccines have previously been available only for health workers taking care of monkeypox patients or for cleaners disinfecting areas contaminated by the virus. The vaccine was originally developed for smallpox, a related disease, but is thought to be about 85 percent effective against monkeypox.

https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/uk-offer-vaccines-gay-bisexual-men-monkeypox-rcna34610

---