The West Australian has reported a third case of Monkeypox has been diagnosed in Western Australia.
The state’s first case of the virus was announced on 4th August, and a second case was announced a week later on 11th August.
All three cases are people have recently returned from overseas and they are not connected. The individuals who have contracted the virus are all isolating at home.
Monkeypox is a rare viral infection that is endemic in Central or West Africa, there has been a global increase in monkeypox cases reported from non-endemic countries since May 2022.
There are now 31,665 cases of monkeypox around the globe according to the latest data from the World Health Organisation.
The Australian government has announced that it has acquired 450,000 doses of the latest vaccine with 22,000 doses recently arriving in the country.
Vaccinations are being targeted at people most at risk of contracting the virus, across the world the majority of cases have been detected among men who have sex with men.
Monkeypox vaccine available for people at high risk of contracting the virus
Sexual health provider M Clinic have announced the requirements for someone to be eligible for the vaccine in Western Australia.
On Friday the clinic announced that initially the vaccine would only be offered to those at high risk of contracting the virus, stipulating that to be eligible people must meet one of two criteria.
Firstly people who have been a sexual partner of a person who has already tested positive for monkeypox will be offered the vaccine.
Secondly, the vaccine will be available to people who have rash or pimple like legions, and have been overseas in the last three weeks, and can confirm that they attended a sex on premises venue or a large dance party.
The advice lists UK, Europe, Brazil or North America are countries people might have travelled to be eligible for the vaccine.
The M Clinic also asks people who experience symptoms of the virus, who fall outside the parameters for the vaccine to contact them.
OIP Staff
You can support our work by subscribing to our Patreon
or contributing to our GoFundMe campaign.
