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The plan sets out measures that will ultimately help eliminate mpox transmission in the UK.
Mpox transmission has already decreased significantly due to high vaccination rates among the most affected and rapid case detection groups. This is thanks to the collaboration of the NHS, third sector organizations and public health authorities across the UK.
The number of cases has remained low in recent weeks, falling from 350 per week in July to 5 per week by 6 December 2022.
The new strategy builds on work undertaken this year to reduce cases. We will continue to limit the spread of UK and imported cases and continue to vaccinate those most affected and identify cases quickly.
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) but will now use the term mpox, as will the World Health Organization (WHO), in all its communications.
A strategy agreed between the 4 UK public health agencies – UKHSAPublic Health Scotland, Public Health Wales and the Public Health Agency (Northern Ireland) – outline 8 key actions underway to reduce the damage caused by the virus.
The 8 main actions are:
- Continue to offer pre- and post-exposure vaccinations for those most at risk
- Rapid and accurate case detection by establishing adequate sampling and testing capacity and, through a £1 million PRIME study, investigating the feasibility of asymptomatic testing of those most at risk of the disease
- Strengthening contact tracing, including isolation when necessary, monitoring progress towards eradication, and providing guidance and support to reduce transmission
- Continue population-level surveillance, following up and collecting information nationally to understand whether cases are acquired in the UK or have travel links.
- Global collaboration with international organizations including WHOEuropean Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to share knowledge and support a global response
- Continued communication and engagement with those who face the greatest risk of exposure to mpox
- Facilitate infection prevention and control systems to prevent transmission in healthcare settings, including development and dissemination of relevant guidance
- State-of-the-art research and evaluation to assess the presence and nature of new symptoms and/or asymptomatic infections and the protective effects of past smallpox vaccinations
Katie Sinka, Chief of Sexually Transmitted Infections at UKHSAsaid:
Now that the crisis phase of this outbreak has passed, we can move on to 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 important. It is important that people are aware of the dangers of mpox and seek advice to protect themselves and others if they have symptoms. Vaccination plays a crucial role in this so I would encourage those most at risk to come forward.
Available data show that the virus mainly affects gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) and there is no strong evidence of continuous transmission outside these networks.
Public Health Scotland’s Director of Public Health Sciences and Medical Director Dr. Nick Finn said:
Mpox is a significant concern for those most at risk across the UK and we are therefore delighted that all 4 UK nations are now able to enter the second phase of the response.
Vaccination is key to getting us to this next stage and so we thank the characters who have taken the opportunity to protect themselves and others against the virus, as well as our NHS colleagues and third sector partners who have supported. Delivery of Immunization Programme.
Although this is welcome news, MPox has not gone away and we therefore encourage those who have not yet accepted their invitation for the first dose. If you received the first dose, please complete your course and maximize your protection by getting your second dose.
We continue to work with our colleagues across the UK to protect against mpox and all other infections that put people at risk.
Richard Firth, Consultant in Health Protection at Public Health Wales and Chair of the Wales Incident Management Team, said:
Although only a small number of empox cases have been reported in Wales so far, the infection has not gone away and we must 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. Adviser on Service Development and Screening at the Public Health Agency (Northern Ireland). Rachel Coyle said:
The Public Health Agency welcomes the release of the UK strategy for mpox control for 2022 to 2023.
Considerable progress has already been made to reduce the transmission of mpox and this document will support the ongoing action needed to achieve the target 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 vaccinations and we would encourage all people at risk to take up the offer.
There have been no reported deaths in the UK and only a small number of deaths linked to the outbreak globally. UKHSA Data and research findings continue to be published as the outbreak response continues.
The UK Strategy for Mpox Control 2022 to 2023 is a collaboration between 4 UK public health agencies, UKHSAPublic Health Scotland, Public Health Wales and the Public Health Agency (Northern Ireland).
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