More than 18,000 people in the Netherlands have received one or more vaccinations against mpox. The vaccination campaign was completed last month. This started at the end of July last year, shortly after the start of the outbreak.
In the spring of 2022, there was evidence of the spread of mpox in Europe for the first time. The disease then spread quickly in large parts of North America, but also beyond. The Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport then decided to offer people with a high risk of contracting the disease a vaccination as a control measure.
The last vaccination was done at the end of January 2023. In the autumn of 2022, the number of infections decreased sharply. Most people received 2 shots with an interval of a few weeks. In total, more than 18,000 first and almost 12,000 second vaccinations were administered.
Close contacts of people who have tested positive will still be offered a vaccination. But this number is currently low. In January 2023, 1 person tested positive for mpox and in December 2022 this was 3 people.
The virus and the spread of the virus are still under investigation. Because the number of infections could increase again, the Minister of VWS asked at the end of 2022 whether vaccination should also take place in 2023. This advice comes in March.
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