Officials say people at higher risk of infection in every area of the country will be able to get a jab
Twelve new mpox vaccination sites have opened across England. Officials say it means every area in the country will be able to offer jabs to those at a higher risk of getting the infection.
Vaccines had only been available to eligible people at 19 sites across London, Brighton in East Sussex, and Manchester. Now new sites have opened their doors in Nottingham, Bristol, Birmingham and elsewhere.
The NHS says it offers the mpox vaccine to those regarded as being at higher risk of catching the virus. This includes men who have sex with other men and have multiple partners.
The first case of clade 1b mpox – different from the strain that has been circulating at low levels in the UK since 2022 – was found in England in October. One month earlier, the Government said it had ordered more doses of an mpox vaccine to boost the country’s resilience against the virus.
Symptoms of mpox include headache, backache, muscle aches, skin rash with blisters, spots or ulcers that can appear anywhere on the body, as well as fever. A rash normally appears one to five days after a fever, headache and other symptoms.
The new locations are:
- Nottingham
- Blackpool, Lancashire
- Bristol
- Sunderland, Tyne and Wear
- Hull, East Yorkshire
- Birmingham, West Midlands
- Sheffield, South Yorkshire
- Liverpool, Merseyside
- Southampton, Hampshire
- Exeter, Devon
- Leeds, West Yorkshire
- Hatfield, Hertfordshire
Health officials say Mpox spreads between people through direct contact with rashes, skin lesions or scabs caused by the virus, including during sexual contact, kissing, cuddling or other skin-to-skin contact. In addition, there is a risk from contact with bodily fluids such as saliva or snot; contact with bedding or towels or clothing; and a possibility of spread through close and prolonged face-to-face contact such as talking, breathing, coughing, or sneezing.
Steve Russell, NHS national director for vaccination and screening, said: “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.
“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. So, if you meet the eligibility criteria please come forward and get protected, simply search on the NHS website to find the vaccination site closest to you.”
Dr Sema Mandal, consultant epidemiologist and deputy director at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), added: “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. If you think you may have mpox or notice anything unusual, new lesions or a rash with blisters, seek medical advice, stay at home and avoid close contact with other people until you’ve been advised what to do.
“Clade 2 mpox cases remain low but have not gone away, and vaccination plays a key part in our defences. It is now even easier to take up mpox vaccination and so I would urge anyone eligible to come forward and take advantage of this offer.”
