Czech Health Ministry recommends vaccination against mpox

Prague: The Czech Ministry of Health and the State Health Institute (SZU) issued a statement, recommending people vaccinate and take preventive measures against mpox if travelling to areas where mpox is currently reported.

The mpox disease, formerly known as monkeypox, does not pose a risk for the Czech Republic, but caution is needed, especially when travelling to Africa, and vaccination is best, said the statement released on Thursday.

The ministry said it is monitoring the situation in Africa.

Current recommendations suggest that professionals such as healthcare workers who are in contact with mpox patients, and people who have sex with multiple partners, or those who live in a household with an HIV-positive person, should be vaccinated, Xinhua news agency reported.

Vaccination against mpox is available at medical centres in most regions in the country, said the ministry.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern. Its data showed that the number of cases reported so far this year has exceeded last year's total, with more than 15,600 cases and 537 deaths.

Mpox is a rare viral disease. Its common symptoms are a skin rash accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.

In the Czech Republic, the system for monitoring mpox has been set up since 2022, when the first unusual occurrence of the disease was recorded. A total of 11 cases have been reported in the country this year, according to the data from the SZU.