Culture
22 Jul 22

ACT UP Dublin calls on Irish government to roll out monkeypox vaccine

The first vaccines against the rapidly spreading monkeypox disease were due to arrive in Ireland on July 15th.

ACT UP Dublin (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) has urged the government to roll out the monkeypox vaccine in Ireland, given the influx in cases spreading in the UK and now on Irish soil.

The current outbreak of the virus was first diagnosed in the UK on May 7 this year. Cases in the UK have risen to over 2,000 in the last two months, with global figures climbing to over 14,000.

As of this week, the HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre had identified 69 cases in Ireland.

The first 1,400 doses of the modified Vaccinia Ankara, marketed under the name Jynneos, was expected to arrive in Ireland on July 15th as part of a joint order of about 110,000 doses by the European Union.

In the last two weeks, the number of detected monkeypox cases in the European Union rose by 50 per cent to reach over 6,000.

European Commissioner for health and food safety Stella Kyriakides said this was a “cause for serious concern for public health. The first deliveries of monkeypox vaccines are today arriving in Ireland with 1,400 doses to protect citizens and respond to this outbreak.

There is no medicine to treat monkeypox. Symptoms include an itchy rash, fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion and most people recover within a few weeks.

The disease is caused by infection with monkeypox virus, which is found in some animal populations in remote parts of central and west Africa. In the past, the virus has caused occasional limited outbreaks in travellers and local communities, but in the last few months cases have spread across multiple countries.

Nearly 60 percent of those diagnosed with monkeypox in New York City have self-identified as members of the LGBTQ community, according to the New York City Department of Health. The queer community are on high alert regarding the rapid spread of cases, with activists stating that the messaging around the circumstances of infection has not been adequately communicated to at-risk communities.

Black and Latinx LGBTQ+ people have struggled to get the vaccine, especially those from a disadvantaged economic background who cannot attend vaccination slots due to work shifts.

In a statement released on social media this week, ACT UP Dublin said, “The current outbreak is disproportionately impacting Gay and Bisexual men; and while the virus is not specifically transmitted through sexual activity, close and intimate contact can transmit this virus.”

Although the virus is not considered to be life-threatening it does cause considerable pain and discomfort for those affected. Symptoms can include muscle pain, backache, fever, exhaustion, and painful lesions which may occur anywhere on the body.

Highlighting the importance of vaccination, the statement references Dr John Gilmore, Assistant Professor in Nursing at UCD and ACT UP Dublin activist, as saying, “We’ve seen over the past two years the importance of prompt vaccination in preventing further spread and negative impact of viruses; while monkeypox is very different to COVID-19 it does impact negatively on those who are infected with uncomfortable symptoms.”

He added, “When we know that there is an effective vaccine available, it is negligent not to provide it to those most at risk. An effective vaccination programme will not only help curtail the spread of the virus, but also ease the building anxiety amongst gay and bisexual men, who are the most effected [sic].”

ACT UP acknowledged the work that the HSE has done through the MPOWER programme in creating awareness campaigns but information on the rollout of monkeypox vaccinations in Ireland has yet to be offered.

The organisation has written to the Minister for Health and the National Immunisation Advisory Committee seeking clarity on a vaccination programme, but have yet to receive a response.

They ended the statement by saying, “ACT UP Dublin calls on the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, the National Immunisation Advisory Committee and the HSE to take immediate action in making vaccines available to those at most risk.”