UKHSA publishes strategy outlining plans to eliminate mpox transmission
UKHSA has published the UK’s plan to continue to reduce mpox (monkeypox) transmission over the next 12 months, on behalf of the 4 nations.
The plan sets out steps that will help eventually eliminate mpox transmission in the UK.
Mpox transmission has already fallen significantly thanks to high vaccination rates across those groups most affected and fast case finding. This has been thanks to collaboration across the NHS, third sector organisations and public health authorities across the UK.
Case numbers have remained low in recent weeks, reducing significantly from 350 per week in July to 5 per week as of 6 December 2022.
The new strategy builds on the work undertaken to reduce cases this year. We will continue to limit spread in the UK and from imported cases by continuing to vaccinate those most affected and quickly identify cases.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) will also now use the term mpox, as designated by the World Health Organization (WHO), in all of its communications.
The strategy, which has been agreed between the UK’s 4 public health agencies – UKHSA, Public Health Scotland, Public Health Wales and Public Health Agency (Northern Ireland) – outlines the 8 key actions that are under way to reduce harm from the virus.
The 8 key actions are:
- continuing to offer pre-and post-exposure vaccination to those at highest risk
- rapid and accurate case finding, by establishing sufficient sampling and testing capacity and, through the £1 million PRIME study, investigating the possibility of asymptomatic testing of those at highest risk from the disease
- robust contact tracing, including isolation when required, alongside monitoring progress against elimination, and providing guidance and support to reduce transmission
- continuing population-level surveillance, by following up and collating information at a national level to understand whether cases have been acquired in the UK or have travel links
- global collaboration with international organisations including WHO, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to share knowledge and support the global response
- continued communications and engagement to those who face the highest risk of exposure to mpox
- facilitate infection prevention and control arrangements to prevent transmission in healthcare settings, including the development and dissemination of relevant guidance
- cutting edge research and evaluation to assess changes over time, presence and nature of new symptoms and/or asymptomatic infection and the protective effects of past smallpox vaccination
Katy Sinka, Head of Sexually Transmitted Infections at UKHSA, said:
Now the emergency phase of this outbreak has passed, we can move into the second phase of our outbreak management strategy.
Through our new strategy we hope to maintain the low number of identified cases we are currently seeing and move towards our ultimate goal of eliminating transmission of the disease in the UK.
But this will take time and maintaining awareness is crucial. It is vital that people remain alert to the risk mpox poses and seek advice if they have symptoms, to protect themselves and others. Vaccination plays a crucial role in this so I would encourage those at highest risk to come forward.
Available data shows that the virus continues to be transmitted primarily in interconnected sexual networks of gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) and there is no robust evidence of sustained transmission outside these networks.
Dr Nick Phin, Director of Public Health Science and Medical Director at Public Health Scotland, said:
Mpox has been of significant concern to those at highest risk across the UK and so we are delighted that all 4 UK nations are now able to enter into the second phase of the response.
Vaccination has been key to getting us to this next stage and so we extend our thanks to those eligible who have taken the opportunity to protect themselves and others against the virus, as well as our NHS colleagues and partners within the third sector who have supported the delivery of the vaccination programme.
Although this is welcome news, mpox has not gone away and so we encourage those who are yet to accept their invitation for a first dose to do so. If you’ve received a first dose, then please complete your course and maximise your protection by getting your second dose.
We continue to work with our colleagues across the UK to provide protection against mpox and all other infections that put people at risk.
Richard Firth, Consultant in Health Protection for Public Health Wales and Chair of the Wales Incident Management Team, said:
Even though Wales has only had a small number of mpox cases up to now, the infection has not gone away and it is vital that we remain vigilant.
We have worked closely with our Health Board colleagues to put robust systems in place around surveillance and vaccination, in line with the strategy.
Dr Rachel Coyle, Consultant in Service Development and Screening at the Public Health Agency (Northern Ireland) said:
The Public Health Agency welcomes the release of the UK strategy for mpox control 2022 to 2023.
There has already been considerable progress made to reduce transmission of mpox and this document will support the ongoing action needed to achieve the goal of stopping transmission in the UK.
Our public health response is committed to reducing the risk of transmission of mpox in our community. Our sexual health services continue to offer vaccination and we would encourage all those at risk to take up the offer.
There are no reported deaths in the UK and only a small number of deaths reported globally linked to the outbreak. UKHSA continues to publish data and research findings as the response to the outbreak continues.
The UK strategy for mpox control 2022 to 2023 is a collaboration between the UK’s 4 public health agencies, UKHSA, Public Health Scotland, Public Health Wales and Public Health Agency (Northern Ireland).
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