Ministers were already sitting on 5,000 doses but have now ordered an extra 20,000.Ĭlose contacts of the UK's known cases are already being offered the jab, which was originally designed for smallpox.
MailOnline yesterday revealed that health chiefs were stockpiling jabs amid growing fears about the tropical virus's spread. No details about the new eleven patients have been released yet.īut six of the previous nine confirmed cases were in men who have sex with men - which officials say is 'highly suggestive of spread in sexual networks'.
'Most cases are mild, and I can confirm we have procured further doses of vaccines that are effective against monkeypox.' This morning I updated G7 health ministers on what we know so far. The Health Secretary said: 'UKHSA have confirmed 11 new cases of monkeypox in the UK. Sajid Javid today revealed another 11 Britons had tested positive for the virus, taking the total to 20. Leading experts told MailOnline the strategy could be deployed if cases continue to disproportionally be in homosexual and bisexual males. Gay men could be offered monkeypox vaccines as part of a focused rollout to tackle the UK's outbreak, which today doubled in size.