With news of a new strain of mpox, Health Equity Matters is urging gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men to get vaccinated against the mpox virus.

Health Equity Matters’ CEO Dash Heath-Paynter said the new strain, known as clade Ib, had been confirmed in several African countries with one case in Sweden in a traveller returning to the country from Africa.

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“We do not know how quickly this new strain will move or how it is transmitted. Currently, Australia has a small number of active mpox cases among gay and bisexual men. It’s vital men who have sex with men are vaccinated as soon as possible,” he said. Vaccination involves two doses at least 28 days apart.

“The vaccines are available through public sexual health clinics and LGBTIQA+ health clinics”.

“The Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM) and Health Equity Matters established a National Mpox Taskforce, comprised of community and clinical representatives, in 2022 to respond to mpox when it first emerged. This committee is still functioning and is meeting to consider the new strain.” 

Mpox can appear as a rash or lesion and is transmitted in Australia through sexual contact between men and can cause serious illness in people with compromised immunity.

ASHM CEO Alexis Apostolellis said “ASHM encourages clinicians to have a low threshold for testing for mpox in patients with clinically compatible presentations and refer to the Australian STI Management Guidelines for the latest advice.”

National Association of People with HIV Australia (NAPWHA) President Scott Harlum said: “It is vital that we have full vaccine coverage across the community of people with HIV, particularly those who have treatment resistance or have other illnesses associated with HIV, because they may be risk of more severe reactions from mpox infection. 

We know that two doses of the vaccine reduces the severity of symptoms relating to mpox infection.” he said. “People who are HIV positive should make it a priority to receive two doses of the mpox vaccine.”

Find out more about to get vaccinated.