What is the current monkeypox situation in the UK?
Figures for the UK are incredibly low. In their latest epidemiological report, the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said: “Up to 26 September 2022 there were 3,485 confirmed and 150 highly probable monkeypox cases in the UK: 3,635 in total. Of these, 94 were in Scotland, 34 were in Northern Ireland, 46 were in Wales and 3,461 were in England.”
It added: “A high proportion of England cases were London residents (69 percent, 2,390 of 3,448 with location information). For confirmed and highly probable cases in the UK, where gender information was available, 3,561 (98.6 percent) were men and 50 were women. The median age of confirmed and highly probable cases in the UK was 36 years (interquartile range 30 to 44).”
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In summary, there are just shy of 3,500 cases and most of these are in England, although there is a smattering of cases in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Despite the low case numbers, the vaccination programme continues as the NHS engages in a three front vaccination programme including flu and COVID-19 boosters.
Source: Daily Express
