Long waiting times for mpox vaccination in several regions

The outbreak of mpox last week was declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization, WHO. Soon after, it became known that Sweden had the first case of the new infectious virus variant, mpox clade 1.

This has led to a significant increase in interest in getting vaccinated, according to several departments that SVT has been in contact with.

– The clinic where we get the vaccination is currently fully booked until the middle/end of October. We receive many vaccination requests from different people, but when it comes to trips abroad, many of them do not qualify for the vaccine. For the people who are going to visit family or work in areas with a large spread of diseases, an individual assessment takes place, answers Hedvig Elander, press officer at Region Stockholm.

Many people are concerned about vaccinations

The Public Health Agency recommends that specific groups receive the vaccine. This applies, among other things, to men and transgender people who have sex with men, as well as some people who travel to areas where the spread of the disease is high. Several departments say that many people are anxious to contact and want to get the vaccine, despite not belonging to any group that is recommended for vaccination.

– Then we have to talk about the concerns. We will try to give them the knowledge to understand that they do not belong to any risk group and therefore do not need vaccines. With experience, anxiety usually subsides, says Johan Lundin, a nurse at the University Hospital’s infection clinic.

No new epidemic

The state epidemiologist Magnus Gisslén understands that there may be fear of a new pandemic and therefore they want to get the vaccine even if they do not belong to any risk group. But according to him, there is no need to worry.

– Mpox is not a virus that causes the type of pandemic, like covid 19. We have known about this disease for many years. We know how to deal with it and there are vaccines, says Magnus Gisslén.

The Public Health Agency’s latest recommendations for vaccines against mpox include special groups who need to travel to places where mpox is spread. Read more about it here.