Doctor with vial of vaccine for monkeypox disease.
The U.K.’s health secretary has declined to order extra monkeypox vaccines against the advice of the government agency responsible for protecting public health, the Financial Times has reported.
Although the U.K.’s outbreak has declined significantly, experts fear a lack of extra stockpiled shots could leave the country vulnerable to future resurgences.
The U.K. Health Security Agency had recommended the government purchase 70,000 doses to be stored in the event of an uptick in cases.
But Thérèse Coffey rejected the advice in late September, citing concerns over value for money, sources told the FT.
At this point, around 45,000 people had recieved one dose of the vaccine. Those at the highest risk are eligible for a follow up dose two to three months later.
A Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson told Forbes there were enough supplies to meet the current outbreak.
The department shared a statement which read: “We are not complacent and we continue to encourage people to take up the offer of a vaccine if offered.
“We continue to monitor the situation and decisions about future supply will be made and communicated in the usual way.”
Campaigners have criticised the alleged failure to purchase extra doses, with sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust calling it “shortsighted.”
Ceri Smith, head of policy at the organisation, told Forbes: “We sincerely hope this isn’t true as it would be concerning and shortsighted. The Government cannot afford to be complacent about monkeypox if we are to prevent the virus becoming endemic in the UK. Not tackling the outbreak would exacerbate the health inequalities experienced by gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men.”
“It’s high time for the Government to get a grip on monkeypox. Vaccination is vital to this — but we need to secure them while the opportunity is there. We will urgently raise this with the Health Secretary.”
Over the course of the outbreak, the U.K. has procured at least 150,000 vaccine doses. But later-than-expected delivery has already hindered the rollout.
The government says it has enough supplies to give the 110,000 eligible members of the public two doses of Bavarian Nordic’s Imnavex vaccine.
The U.K., which has a population of 67m, has seen one of the highest monkeypox caseloads of any individual country, recording 3,485 lab-confirmed cases between May 6 and September 26.
The U.S. has had the most cases, reporting nearly 23,000 in late September.
Although monkeypox cases have been reported across the country, the U.K.’s outbreak has been largely concentrated in London. As in other counties, it has largely affected gay and bisexual men, and other men who have sex with men.
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